CliLER 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


SHORTHAND 
CHAMPIONSHIP   TESTS 


BY 
WALT   H.  MECHLER,  Ph.B. 

Associate  Professor  of 
Secretarial  Science, 
Boston  University 


THE   GREGG  PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

NEW    YORK  BOSTON  CHICAGO 

SAN    FRANCISCO  LONDON 


COPYRIGHT    1922,    BY   THE 

GREGG   PUBLISHING    COMPANY 

F-H55-3 


PRINTED  IN  THE   UNITED  STATES  OP  AMERICA 


PREFACE 

>»~ 

Interest  in  the  results  of  the  shorthand  speed  con- 
tests seems  never  to  wane.    Every  student  of  shorthand 
at  some  time  in  his  career — usually  very  early — wants 
to  know  what  his  speed  is.    The  second  point  he  wishes 
settled  is,  what  is  the  highest  speed  ever  achieved? 
And  a  third  is,  what  kind  of  matter  was  dictated? 
Unfortunately  for  the  peace  of  mind  of  the  perennial 
strivers  for  shorthand  speed,  the  history  of  the  contests 
giving  these  particulars  has  never  been  set  down  in  one 
volume.    The  object  of  this  book  is  to  satisfy  the  thirst 
for  knowledge  on  these  points  and,  what  is  of  even 
3  greater  value,  to  present  for  study  and  practice  the 
*  material  actually  dictated  in  the  various  championship 
*?  contests.     The  material  in  Shorthand  Championship- 
I  Tests  is  of  particular  value  because  it  not  only  gives 
a  basis  of  comparison,  but  it  has  been  tested.     More- 
en over,  it  is  of  sufficient  variety  to  be  of  great  value  in 
w  building  up  a  shorthand  vocabulary,  which  is,  after 
^  all,  the  basis  of  stenographic  efficiency.    The  literary 
matter  is  the  product  of  many  minds  and  therefore  is 
varied  enough  in  style  to  relieve  monotony. 
p|      Many  features  of  obvious  value  have  been  included. 
•2  The  syllable  intensity  is  given  on  all  matter;    this 
enables  the  writer  to  form  a  fairly  accurate  opinion  of 
his  comparative  speed  on  different  kinds  of  matter. 
"Syllable  intensity"  simply  means  the  average  number 
of  syllables  to  the  word.     It  is  a  factor  that  vitally 
affects  speed,  for  it  is  a  general  rule  that  longer  words 
have  longer  shorthand  forms.    This  is  not  an  infallible 


SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

index,  however,  for  owing  to  the  construction  of  the 
shorthand  system  many  long  words  are  written  by 
extremely  brief  outlines. 

The  matter  has  been  counted  in  quarter-minute 
"blocks"  at  contest  speed  for  the  various  dictations. 
Each  quarter  minute  is  marked  by  a  distinctive  vertical 
line  to  facilitate  easy  reading  at  the  required  speeds. 
A  feature  that  will  be  appreciated  by  the  dictator  is  the 
large  and  clear  style  of  type  employed. 

We  believe  that  the  Shorthand  Championship  Tests 
is  a  valuable  contribution  to  dictation  material,  and 
that  it  will  stimulate  the  quest  for  speed  and  accuracy 
in  shorthand. 

THE  GKEGG  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


TABLE    OF   CONTENTS 

PART  I 
A  Brief  History  of  the  Shorthand  Championship  Contests 

PAGE 

THE  FIRST  CONTEST 1 

THE  SECOND  CONTEST  .  . 2 

THE  FIRST  MODERN  CONTEST 3 

THE  SECOND  MODERN  CONTEST 5 

THE  GREAT  "IMPROMPTU  CONTEST"  ....  7 

THE  MINER  MEDAL  CONTESTS 13 

SECOND  MINER  MEDAL  CONTEST  .....  14 
THIRD  MINER  MEDAL  CONTEST  .  .•  .  .  .14 

FINAL  CONTEST  FOR  THE  MINER  MEDAL  .  .  .  .15 
A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  MINER  MEDAL  .  ...  16 
FIRST  EGAN  CUP  CONTEST  .......  18 

SECOND  EGAN  CUP  CONTEST 18 

THIRD  EGAN  CUP  CONTEST        .       .       .       .        .       .20 

FOURTH  EGAN  CUP  CONTEST      .        .  .       .        .20 

1919  CHAMPIONSHIP  CONTEST  AT  DETROIT  ...  22 
THE  CHAMPIONSHIP  CONTEST  OF  THE  NATIONAL 

SHORTHAND  REPORTERS'  ASSOCIATION  ...  24 
WINNERS  OF  THE  N.  S,  R.  A.  WORLD  SHORTHAND 

CHAMPIONSHIP .27 

ADAMS  TROPHY  CONTEST  IN  1911 31 

BEST  AMERICAN  CONTEST  RECORDS 39 

BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP  CONTESTS 42 

1908  CONTEST,  LONDON 43 

1909  CONTEST,  LONDON 43 

1910  CONTEST,  LONDON 43 

1912  CONTEST,  LONDON 44 

COMPARISON  OF  BRITISH  AND  AMERICAN  RECORDS        .     45 

DUBIOUS  RECORDS  IN  SHORTHAND 47 

ALLEGED  "300-woRD-A-MiNUTE"  RECORD  ....     47 

TWO-MINUTE  RECORDS 48 

HANDICAP  CONTEST,  1920 49 

VARIATION  IN  SYLLABLE  INTENSITY  OF  MATERIAL        .     50 


yi  CONTENTS 

PART  II 
Test  Material  Dictated  in  the  World  Championship  Contests 

PAGE 

1909  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 61 

1910  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 81 

1911  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 101 

1912  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 130 

1913  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 150 

1914  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 171 

1919  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 192 

1920  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 221 

1921  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 245 

1908  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP  SPEED  CONTEST  .  .  269 

1909  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP  SPEED  CONTEST  .  .  280 

1910  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP  SPEED  CONTEST  .  .  291 
1912  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP  SPEED  CONTEST  .  .  295 
HANDICAP  CONTEST,  1920  .       ....       .  .  .299 


PART  ONE 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  SHORTHAND 
CHAMPIONSHIP  CONTESTS 

THE  FIRST  CONTEST 
ABOUT  75  A.  D. 

Shorthand  contests  are  of  ancient  origin.  Project 
yourself  back  to  the  first  century  of  Christianity  and 
imagine  if  you  can  the  "scribes"  or  "recorders"  of 
those  days  with  waxen  tablets  and  styli  furiously 
scratching  down  their  crude  shorthand  characters, 
hi  a  contest  for  speed !  This  is  not  a  fancy  of  the  imagi- 
nation. It  actually  happened;  it  is  history. 

Caius  Suetonius  Tranquillus,  the  Roman  historian, 
writes  of  Titus  Fabius  Sabinus  Vespasianus,  the 
eleventh  of  the  twelve  Caesars  (69-81  A.  D.),  familiarly 
known  as  Titus : 

"He  was  capable  of  writing  shorthand  with  the 
greatest  rapidity  and  he  often  competed  with  the  scribes 
for  his  own  amusement." 

Shorthand  was  a  fashionable  art  with  the  nobles  of 
those  days  and  it  was  the  custom  for  them  to  engage  hi 
shorthand  contests  with  other  writers.  Shorthand 
"speed  contests"  may  have  even  antedated  this,  for 
shorthand  was  a  recognized  and  important  medium  of 
recording  speeches.  Through  it  some  of  the  choicest 
bits  of  Roman  oratory  have  been  handed  down  to 
posterity. 


SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 


Marcus  Tullius  Tiro,  in  63  B.  C.,  had  invented  a 
shorthand  system  that  was  employed  in  reporting  the 
proceedings  of  the  Roman 
Senate.  When  we  consider 
the  Romans'  love  of  sports 
and  the  zest  for  competitions 
of  all  kinds,  it  is  not  at 
all  surprising  that  shorthand 
contests  came  in  for  their 
share  of  popularity.  But 
there  is  no  historical  record 
of  these.  And  we  do  not 
even  know  how  Titus  came 
out  in  the  one  contest  men- 
tioned in  ancient  history. 
After  the  fall  of  the  Roman 
Empire  and  during  the  Dark  Ages  shorthand  became 
practically  a  lost  art — forbidden  to  be  used. 


Titus  Vespasianus,  the  First- 
Speed  Contestant,  75  A.  D. 


THE  SECOND  CONTEST,  1720 

Nearly  seventeen  centuries  rolled  by  between  the 
first  shorthand  contest  and  the  second.  The  next  short- 
hand speed  contest  of  which  we  have  any  historical 
record  was  held  in  the  year  1720.  It  was  at  London 
and  was  in  the  nature  of  a  private  duel  with  pens 
between  James  Weston  and  Dr.  John  Byrom,  two  rival 
shorthand  authors.  We  can  imagine  that  these  two 
authors  got  into  a  controversy  over  the  merits  of  their 
systems  and  finally  one  said,  "Well,  the  proof  of  the 
pudding  is  in  the  eating  thereof."  But  there  was 
no  "clash  of  steel,"  not  even  steel  pens,  for  quills 
were  the  weapons  used  in  settling  the  dispute.  This 
contest  occurred  before  the  days  of  stop-watches, 


SECOND  CONTEST  3 

"syllable  intensity,"  scientific  methods  of   transcrip- 
tion  and  correction,    and   accurate  recording  of   re- 

sults. All  we  know 
of  it  is  that  Byrom 
came  off  victorious. 
And  there  is  poetic 
justice  in  this  fact 
for  it  was  Weston 
who  was  the  chal- 
lenger. Byrom  cut 
quite  a  figure  in  the 

g 


Dr.  John  Byrom,  the  Winner  of  the  Second 
Speed  Contest  in  History,  1720  A.  D. 


and 

•  1  11 

is  today  so  well 
thought  of  that  there 
is  an  important  asso- 
ciation in  America 
which  bears  his  and  Willis's  name  —  the  Willis-Byrom 
Club.  It  is  interesting  to  recall  that  John  and  Charles 
Wesley,  founders  of  Methodism,  were  writers  of 
Byrom's  system.  John  Wesley  for  more  than  fifty 
years  wrote  his  diary  in  Byrom's  shorthand.  Charles 
Wesley's  present  to  his  wife  on  their  wedding  day  was 
a  Bible  containing  an  inscription  in  this  system. 
But  this  is  getting  away  from  our  story  of  contests. 
Anyone  who  is  interested  in  the  history  of  shorthand 
should  read  A  Brief  History  of  Shorthand  by  John 
Robert  Gregg. 


THE  FIRST  MODERN  CONTEST,  1887 

Almost  two  centuries  elapsed  between  the  second  and 
third  shorthand  speed  contests.  The  second,  however, 
suggested  the  third.  Mr.  E.  N.  Miner,  who  was  for 
twenty-eight  years  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Phono- 


4  SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

graphic  World,  says  that  "it  was  through  my  publica- 
tion of  an  account  of  the  Weston-Byrom  contest  in  my 
magazine  for  December,  1887,  that  I  thought  of  having 
a  public  contest  in  this  country."  This  contest  was 
staged  at  Lake  George,  New  York,  in  the  summer  of 
1888.  Two  years  before  that,  at  the  1886  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  New  York  State  Stenographers'  Association 
(now  known  as  the  New  York  State  Shorthand  Re- 
porters' Association)  held  at  Lake  George,  one  of  the 
members  read  a  paper  on  "Stenographic  Braggarts," 
which  made  a  profound  impression.  It  was  common 
then,  as  it  is  now,  for  stenographers  to  have  vivid 
imaginations,  and  as  the  public  was  unacquainted  with 
the  meaning  of  shorthand  speed,  speeds  up  to  even 
four  and  five  hundred  words  a  minute  were  common — 
in  the  imagination.  Even  so  late  as  three  or  four  years 
ago  the  publishers  of  a  shorthand  system  were  taken 
hi  by  a  "fake  contest"  in  which  the  hero  claimed  300 
words  a  minute  with  99.99  per  cent  accuracy  (why  it 
was  not  100  per  cent  has  not  been  explained)  and  ad- 
vertised this  writer — and  advertises  him  today — as 
"the  world's  champion  shorthand  writer." 

The  result  of  this  paper,  "Stenographic  Braggarts," 
was  that  Mr.  A.  B.  Little,  then  an  official  stenographer 
at  Rochester,  New  York,  made  an  offer  to  present  to 
any  person  who  would  write  250  words  a  minute  for 
five  consecutive  minutes  a  gold  medal  to  cost  $50. 
It  developed  in  the  discussion  that  no  one  present 
had  ever  seen  anyone  write  even  225  words  a  minute 
for  five  consecutive  minutes.  No  one  undertook  to 
win  the  medal  offered  by  Mr.  Little.  But  at  the 
next  annual  meeting  in  August,  1887,  Mr.  Little 
renewed  his  offer,  but  laid  down  the  condition  that  the 
successful  contestant  must  "write  250  words  a  minute 


FIRST  MODERN  CONTEST  5 

for  five  consecutive  minutes  and  read  and  transcribe 
the  notes  without  an  error,  the  dictation  to  be  on  law 
matter  to  be  selected  by  a  committee  appointed  by  the 
chair,  who  shall  also  act  as  judges  on  the  test- 
subject  matter  to  consist  of  1250  consecutive  words." 
Mr.  Isaac  S.  Dement,  a  court  stenographer  of  Detroit, 
who  was  present,  accepted  the  challenge.  A  contest 
committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Mr.  George  R. 
Bishop,  of  New  York,  Mr.  George  H.  Thornton,  of 
Buffalo,  and  Mr.  E.  T.  Easton,  of  Washington.  The 
matter  was  selected  and  the  contest  held.  After  five 
trials  Mr.  Dement  took  1289  words  in  five  minutes, 
which  he  read  back  with  forty  errors,  of  which  thirty- 
four  were  immaterial  and  six  words  added  in  reading 
back,  two  of  which  were  material  errors,  giving  him  a 
net  of  1249  words.  The  $50  was  not  paid,  because 
Mr.  Dement  lacked  one  word  of  qualifying  under 
the  conditions  laid  down.  Col.  Stewart,  of  Phila- 
delphia, however,  in  the  interest  of  good  sportsman- 
ship, donated  $40,  which  was  presented  to  Mr.  Dement, 
who  was  the  only  contestant  and  was  therefore  declared 
the  winner. 

THE  SECOND  MODERN  CONTEST,  1888 

Nearly  a  year  later  Mr.  Andrew  J.  Graham  wrote  a 
letter  to  the  editor  of  the  Phonographic  World,  in 
which  he  suggested  a  contest,  and  offered  $500  in 
prizes  to  be  competed  for  as  follows:  $225  for  not 
less  than  250  words  a  minute  for  five  minutes;  $125 
for  not  less  than  240  words  a  minute  for  five  minutes; 
$90  for  not  less  than  230  words  a  minute  for  five 
minutes;  and  $60  for  not  less  than  225  words  a 
minute  for  five  minutes,  "each  writer  to  have  the 


6 


SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 


privilege  of  choosing  his  own  reader,  each  reader  having 
the  privilege  of  reading  the  matter  over  at  least  once 
before  dictating  and  a  synopsis  of  the  case  to  be  stated 
by  the  committee  before  the  reading  begins."  Mr. 
Graham  appointed  as  a  committee  Mr.  Edward  B. 
Dickinson,  Mr.  E.  N.  Miner,  and  Mr.  George  B.  Kellogg, 
to  select  the  matter  and  award  the  prizes.  The  contest 
was  finally  scheduled  to  take  place  at  the  meeting  of 
the  New  York  State  Stenographers 'Association,  at  Lake 
George,  in  August,  1888.  Five  contestants  presented 
themselves,  all  court  stenog- 
raphers, four  of  whom  were 
officials,  three  from  Michigan, 
one  from  Ohio,  and  one  from 
Illinois.  One  of  these  with- 
drew after  the  rules  had 
been  read.  Another  with- 
drew after  taking  the  dicta- 
tion and  a  third  failed  to 
qualify  in  his  transcript. 
The  two  contestants  left 
were  Mr.  Isasc  S.  Dement 
and  Mr.  Fred  Irland.  Mr. 
Dement  had  written  1338 
words  in  five  minutes.  In  transcribing  he  made 
68  material  and  36  immaterial  errors  (one-half 
being  deducted  for  each  of  the  latter),  making  86 
deductions,  or  a  net  of  1252  words,  an  average  of 
250.66  words  a  minute.  The  matter  dictated  was 
testimony,  the  Q's  and  A's  being  neither  dictated  nor 
counted.  Mr.  Irland  had  1308  words  read  to  him  in 
five  minutes,  106  deducted  for  errors,  giving  him  a  net 
of  1202  or  an  average  of  240.4  words  a  minute.  Three 
tests  were  given  each  contestant  and  each  chose  his 


Isaac  S.  Dement,  Winner  of  the 
First  American  Contest,  1888 


SECOND  MODERN  CONTEST  7 

third  test.  The  committee  awarded  the  first  two  prizes 
as  indicated  in  the  foregoing,  but  Mr.  Graham  subse- 
quently divided  the  prize  equally  and  sent  $250  each 
to  Mr.  Dement  and  to  Mr.  Irland.  For  the  sake  of 
present-day  comparisons,  it  may  be  stated  that  had 
questions  and  answers  been  dictated  and  transcribed, 
as  at  present,  and  the  rating  made  on  the  present 
basis,  Mr.  Dement  would  have  had  a  net  average  of 
273  words  a  minute.  A  comparison  with  the  contest 
figures  of  today  will  show  that  there  is  little  to  choose 
between  the  speed  of  Mr.  Dement  and  the  present-day 
writers. 

THE   GREAT    ''IMPROMPTU   CONTEST" 

The  next  American  contest — if  it  could  be  called 
such — came  to  be  known  as  the  " Irland  Impromptu," 
and  took  place  at  the  annual  convention  of  the  National 
Commercial  Teachers'  Federation,  at  Cincinnati,  in 
December,  1903.  It  was  the  idea,  it  appeared,  to  stage 
a  demonstration  by  Mr.  Irland  and  then  adroitly  to 
draw  Mr.  R.  P.  Kelley,  who  had  achieved  a  reputation 
for  rapid  writing  with  the  Gregg  system,  into  the 
matter  and  make  it  appear  that  it  was  a  competition 
between  him  and  Mr.  Irland,  the  accomplished  Con- 
gressional reporter  and  veteran  speed  contestant.  The 
plan  was  cleverly  conceived  and  probably  would  have 
gone  through  had  not  the  fates  that  sometimes  work  in 
mysterious  ways  defeated  it.  The  complete  story  is 
told  in  the  April,  1904,  Gregg  Writer. 

But,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  at  a  certain  point 
in  the  proceedings,  when  the  schedule  was  very  much 
behind  time,  the  chairman  said:  "If  anybody  desires 
to  speak  a  few  minutes  on  the  original  topic — 'Should 


8  SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

a  teacher  aim  to  vary  his  style  and  speed  in  dictating 
to  the  same  class?'— they  have  the  privilege."    There- 
upon Mr.  Lafayette  P.  Temple  of  Washington  arose 
and  after  some  preliminary  remarks  about  his  class- 
room methods  said:  "I  would  like  very  much  if  I  were 
a  rapid  stenographer  to  write  something  on  the  black- 
board, but  as  I  am  not  I  would  like  to  ask  my  friend, 
Mr.  Irland,  if  he  would  write  something  that  will  give 
you  an  idea  of  just  the  way  we  conduct  our  classes." 
Mr.  Irland  after  protesting  that  he  did  not  like  to  be 
used  as  a  "horrible  example,"  and  saying  that  he  did 
not  know  much  about  writing  on  the  blackboard,  con- 
sented to  write.    Mr.  Temple  said:   "I  have  brought 
some   Congressional   Records  with   me  from  which  I 
would  like  to  select  something  to  give  to  Mr.  Irland." 
At  any  rate  the  "impromptu"  was  staged  and  Mr. 
Irland  succeeded  in  writing  205  words  a  minute.     Later 
the  Andrew  J.  Graham  Company  published  a  photo- 
graphic facsimile  of   a  blackboard  containing  matter 
written  by  Mr.  Irland  at  the  Temple  School  in  Wash- 
ington, certified  by  Mr.  Temple,  and  dated  Nov.  25, 
1903,  more  than  a  month  before  the  "impromptu"  test 
at  Cincinnati. 

The  matter  written  by  Mr.  Irland  was  as  follows: 

The   Speaker    (pro  tempore):    The    chair   understood   the 
gentleman  from  Ohio  had  yielded  the  floor,  and  the  chair  h 
recognized  the  gentleman  from  Tennessee. 

Mr   Grosvenor:   The  chair  must  have  misunderstood 
I  will  yield  to  the  gentleman  from  Tennessee  to  ask  a  quest  on, 
and  if  the  gentleman  wants  time  he  can  have  it. 

Mr.  Richardson  of  Tennessee:    The  rule  gives  us  twenty 
minutes  on  a  side,  and  I  insist  on  my  twenty  minutes  unde 

the  rule. 

The  Speaker  (pro  tempore):    The  previous  question  has 

been  ordered  or  asked  for. 

Mr.    Richardson    of   Tennessee:     I   understand   we 
twenty  minutes  to  debate  the  rule. 


GREAT  "IMPROMPTU  CONTEST"      9 

The  Speaker  (pro  tempore):  Not  unless  the  previous 
question  has  been  ordered. 

Mr.  Grosvenor:  Mr.  Speaker,  I  am  willing  to  yield  to  the 
gentleman  from  Tennessee  twenty  minutes. 

Mr.  Richardson  of  Tennessee:  But  the  rule  of  the  House 
gives  me  twenty  minutes. 

Mr.  Grosvenor:  The  previous  question  has  not  been 
ordered.  Mr.  Speaker,  I  will  demand  the  previous  question. 

Mr.  Payne:  A  parliamentary  inquiry,  Mr.  Speaker. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  above  matter  consists 
almost  entirely  of  a  number  of  simple  congressional 
routine  words  and  phrases,  repeated  over  and  over 
again — matter  which  is  familiar  to  congressional  re- 
porters. An  analysis  of  the  passage  shows :  The  word 
"Mr."  (which  is  not  written  in  such  matter)  occurs 
twelve  times;  "the  chair,"  three  times;  "the  speaker 
(pro  tempore)"  three  times;  "Mr.  Speaker,"  three 
times;  "the  gentleman  from"  (Ohio  two,  Tennessee 
three),  five  times;  "Tennessee,"  seven  times;  "pre- 
vious question,"  four  times  (also,  "to  ask  a  question"); 
"Mr.  Richardson  of  Tennessee,"  four  times;  "Mr. 
Grosvenor,"  four  times;  "twenty  minutes,"  four  times 
(also,  "gives  us  twenty  minutes,"  and  "gives  me 
twenty  minutes");  "the  rule,"  four  times;  "I  will 
yield,"  "I  am  willing  to  yield,"  "I  am  ready  to  yield," 
"had  yielded,"  "has  not  been  ordered,"  twice  (also, 
"has  been  ordered");  "understood,"  twice;  also, 
"misunderstood,"  and  "understand" — and  so  on. 

At  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Irland's  demonstration  the 
chairman  called  on  Mr.  Kelley,  who  was  a  mere 
stripling  in  shorthand  experience  compared  with  Mr. 
Irland,  to  write  on  the  board,  and  although  Mr. 
Kelley  was  wholly  unfamiliar  with  the  matter  he  wrote 
160  words  a  minute  on  the  following: 

.  .  .  and  greatly  successful,  and  I  would  take  the  judg- 
ment of  the  Senator  from  New  York  (Mr.  Platt),  who  is  a 
member  of  that  committee,  before  I  would  take  that  of  any 


10          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

man  of  the  committee  in  respect  to  any  financial  proposition 
connected  with  this  subject  or  any  other  subject,  and  so 
would  the  people  of  the  United  States. 

The  Senator  from  Iowa  commenced  in  rather  a  despon- 
dent strain  on  the  subject  of  raising  the  money  for  the  canal. 
I  thought  it  was  one  of  the  glories  of  the  American  people 
that  we,  with  absolute  security  and  sincerity,  could  Say  that 
we  were  the  only  people  in  the  world  who  could  go  into  our 
own  treasury  and  find  the  money  to  build  the  canal,  and  I 
have  even  been  led  to  suppose  by  the  reports  that  have  come 
from  time  to  time  in  regard  to  the  surplus  of  our  receipts 
over  our  annual  expenditures,  the  accumulation  of  money  in 
the  treasury.  ... 

The  "impromptu"  contest  and  the  controversy  that 
arose  over  it  culminated  in  Graham's  challenge  dated 
March,  1904,  to  a  contest  between  writers  of  the 
Graham  and  the  Gregg  systems.  Mr.  Graham  proposed 
that  he  and  Mr.  Gregg  each  put  up  $500,  the  winner 
to  take  the  $1,000.  The  challenge  was  promptly 
accepted  by  Mr.  Gregg,  with  the  proviso  that  only 
writers  of  equal  length  of  years'  experience  be  eligible 
to  the  contest.  The  ex-president  of  the  National  Short- 
hand Commercial  Teachers'  Federation,  Mr.  Charles 
M.  Miller  of  New  York,  in  whose  hands  the  matter 
had  been  placed,  wrote  to  the  Phonographic  World  that 
he  had  received  Mr.  Gregg's  check  for  the  $500  and 
had  so  notified  the  A.  J.  Graham  Company.  The 
Graham  Company  insisted  that  the  contest  be  held 
the  following  month  at  the  forthcoming  meeting  of  the 
National  Shorthand  Reporters'  Association,  declining  to 
consent  to  the  contest  being  held  in  the  National  Short- 
hand Teachers'  Association,  where  the  controversy  had 
originated,  and  finally  practically  backed  out  altogether. 
The  editor  of  the  Phonographic  World,  an  inde- 
pendent magazine,  vigorously  supported  Mr.  Gregg's 
stand  that  the  contest  should  be  between  writers  of 
equal  shorthand  experience,  stating  that  it  was  mani- 


GREAT  "IMPROMPTU  CONTEST"  11 

festly  unfair  for  writers  of  long  experience  to  compete 
with  the  less  experienced  writers. 

The  "Irland  Impromptu"  at  Cincinnati  had  one 
beneficial  outcome— it  greatly  stimulated  interest  in 
the  subject  of  speed  contests.  Mr.  Charles  M.  Miller 
of  New  York  offered  a  trophy  to  be  competed  for  in  an 
open  contest  by  writers,  without  regard  to  experience. 
This  cup,  presented  to  the  Eastern  Commercial  Teach- 
ers' Association  for  that  purpose,  was  to  be  known  as 
"Miller's  American  Shorthand  Cup."  Thereupon  the 
arrangement  of  details  was  left  by  the  Association  in 
the  hands  of  the  executive  committee.  Mr.  E.  N. 
Miner,  the  editor  of  the  Phonographic  World,  who  had 
taken  the  position  that  the  young  writers  of  limited 
experience  be  given  a  chance,  immediately  offered  the 
Miner  Medal  as  a  trophy  to  be  competed  for  annually 
by  writers  of  not  more  than  ten  years'  experience. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Eastern  Commercial  Teachers' 
Association  in  the  spring  of  the  following  year,  1906, 
Mr.  Miller  withdrew  his  offer  of  the  cup,  as  it  developed 
that  the  lack  of  arrangements  made  it  impossible  to 
carry  out  the  conditions  he  had  laid  down.  In  explain- 
ing his  reason  for  withdrawing  the  cup,  he  said: 

My  information  is  that  this  particular  committee  found  it 
impossible  to  formulate  conditions  that  were  satisfactory  to 
them,  and  in  order,  in  their  best  judgment,  I  suppose,  to  relieve 
the  situation,  and  to  get  the  benefit  of  the  best  possible  advice, 
a  sub-committee  was  appointed,  a  large  sub-committee — the 
personnel  of  which  I  have  no  objection  to  whatever.  I  esteem 
the  individuals  of  that  committee  most  highly,  but  the  whole 
proposition  was  made  ridiculous  in  the  same  breath  by  an- 
nouncing to  the  world  that  when  this  committee  had  made 
arrangements  under  which  the  contests  should  be  conducted, 
had  laid  down  the  plans,  and,  if  you  please,  had  selected  the 
matter,  they  themselves  should  have  the  privilege  of  contesting. 

It  was  pointed  out  that  the  conditions  had  not  been 
announced  until  the  evening  before,  and  therefore 


12          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

writers  at  a  distance  had  no  knowledge  of  what  the 
conditions  were  to  be,  and  were  not  likely  to  come  on  to 
the  contest  while  matters  were  in  such  an  indefinite 
form.  It  was  suggested  that  the  cup  be  held  over  until 
the  next  year,  but  the  committee  explained  that  a 
writer  had  come  all  the  way  from  England  to  compete, 
and  that  it  would  be  unfair  not  to  allow  the  contest  to 
go  on  as  had  been  publicly  announced.  After  much 
discussion,  Mr.  Miller's  withdrawal  of  the  cup  was 
accepted  and  the  Association  voted  to  accept  another 
cup  offered  by  Mr.  John  J.  Eagan  of  Hoboken, 
New  Jersey.  Subsequent  events  vindicated  Mr. 
Miller's  position,  as  the  cup  was  not  awarded  to  any- 
one because  the  contestants  failed  to  transcribe  their 
notes  within  the  time  limit.  While  the  judges  worked 
hard,  and  it  is  but  simple  justice  to  say  that  they 
conducted  the  contest  in  a  spirit  of  absolute  fairness, 
the  arrangements  were  very  unsatisfactory  in  many 
respects. 

The  cup  presented  to  the  Association  by  Mr.  Eagan 
thereafter  became  the  International  Trophy  to  be 
competed  for  in  shorthand  contests  held  by  the  Eastern 
Commercial  Teachers'  Association — to  go  to  the  con- 
testant, without  regard  to  experience,  who  won  it 
three  times  in  succession. 

As  the  Eagan  cup  contests  were  not  based  on 
a  definite  standard  of  speed  and  the  methods  of 
rating  errors  varied  from  year  to  year,  it  is  difficult 
to  make  any  satisfactory  comparison  with  the  results 
obtained  in  the  contests  of  the  National  Shorthand 
Reporters'  Association  which  succeeded  the  Eagan 
cup  contests.  The  results  of  these  contests,  how- 
ever, will  be  presented  merely  for  their  historical 
importance. 


MINER  MEDAL  CONTESTS 


13 


THE  MINER  MEDAL  CONTESTS 

The  first  of  the  contests  for  the  Miner  Medal  was 
held  under  the  auspices  of  the  Eastern  Commercial 
Teachers'  Association  at  the  Baltimore  Business  College, 
Baltimore,  in  March,  1906.  The  entries  for  the  contest 
were  Mr.  Sidney  H.  Godfrey  of  London,  England,  a 
writer  of  the  Isaac  Pitman  system;  Mr.  Fayette  P. 

Temple  of  Baltimore,  Mary- 
land, a  writer  of  the  Gra- 
ham system;  Mr.  Clyde  H. 
Marshall,  a  writer  of  the 
Benn  Pitman  system,  and 
Mr.  Emil  F.  Trefzger, 
eighteen  years  of  age,  the 
youngest  of  the  contestants, 
who  had  begun  the  study  of 
shorthand  two  and  one-half 
years  previously.  The  length 
of  time  the  other  contest- 
ants had  been  writing  short- 
hand was  stated  as  "not 
more  than  ten  years'  experience."  The  results  of 
the  contest  were  as  follows : 

Ma-  Imma- 

Gross    terial    terial    Net  Accu- 

Name  System  Speed  Errors  Errors  Speed  racy* 

Sidney  H.Godfrey,  England,  I.  Pitman    168          8        8     164.8  98.1 

Fayette  P.  Temple,  U.  S.  A.     Graham     173£       14      23     165.8  95.7 

Clyde  H.Marshall,  U.S.A.  B.  Pitman     173J      52       18     159.2  91.9 

Emil  Trefzger,  U.  S.  A.  Gregg    168        55      27     151.6  90.2 

The  medal  was  therefore  awarded  to  Mr.  Godfrey. 
Mr.  Godfrey  was  twenty-eight  years  old. 

It  is  only  fair  to  Mr.  Trefzger  to  state  that  he  was  at 

*  Present  method  of  rating;  under  this  rating,  95  per  cent  accuracy,  only  the  first 
two  contestants  mentioned  would  have  qualified.  Under  the  rules  of  the  Miner  Medal, 
however,  contestants  qualified  who  did  not  have  more  than  10  per  cent  of  errors. 


Enoch  N.  Miner,  Who  Donated 
the  Famous  Miner  Medal 


14          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

the  convention  in  the  capacity  of  demonstrator  for  the 
Remington  Typewriter  Company,  and,  although  he  had 
been  devoting  his  attention  for  some  months  chiefly  to 
typewriting,  he  made  a  most  creditable  showing  con- 
sidering his  lack  of  practice,  youth,  and  inexperience. 

SECOND   MINER  MEDAL  CONTEST 

There  was  but  one  contestant  for  the  Miner  Medal  in 
1907 — Mr.  Sidney  H.  Godfrey  of  London,  England. 
Mr.  Godfrey  transcribed  the  165  words  a  minute  dicta- 
tion— straight  literary  matter — making  twenty-four 
material  errors  and  seven  immaterial  errors.  The 
official  figures,  after  deductions,  gave  him  a  net  speed 
of  123  words  a  minute.  Under  the  present  rating,  he 
would  have  obtained  a  net  speed  of  158.8  words  a  min- 
ute and  an  accuracy  percentage  of  96.2.  The  difference 
in  the  figures  is  accounted  for  by  the  different  method 
of  rating  in  vogue  at  that  time.  The  committee  in 
charge  of  the  contest  was  the  same  as  for  the  Eagan 
International  Trophy,  the  two  contests  being  held 
simultaneously. 

THIRD  MINER  MEDAL  CONTEST 

The  third  of  the  contests  for  the  Miner  Medal  was 
held  in  Philadelphia,  April  18,  1908.  Dictations  were 
given  for  both  the  Miner  Medal  and  the  Eagan  Cup  con- 
tests simultaneously,  at  the  following  speeds :  160  words 
a  minute,  speech;  180  words  a  minute,  judge's  charge; 
200  words  a  minute,  literary  matter;  220  words  a  min- 
ute, testimony;  260  words  a  minute,  testimony.  Only 
those  with  ten  years'  or  less  experience  were  eligible  to 
compete  in  the  Miner  Medal  contest.  The  committee 
in  charge  of  the  speed  contest  was  composed  of  Kendrick 


THIRD  MINER  MEDAL  CONTEST 


15 


C.  Hill  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  chairman;  David  H.  O'Keefe, 
Brooklyn;  Oscar  L.  Detweiler,  Philadelphia;  James  N. 
Kimball,  New  York  City;  J.  E.  Gill,  Trenton,  N.  J.; 
C.  H.  Requa,  Brooklyn,  and  Edward  H.  Eldridge, 
Boston. 

The  official  results  were  announced  as  follows: 


Name 

C.  H.  Marshall 
S.  H.  Godfrey 
W.  R.  Duryea 
R.  R.  Brott 


System     Kind  of  Matter 
' '  Success ' '     Testimony 
I.  Pitman     Testimony 
Graham     Jury  charge 
Graham     Literary 


Gross  Speed  Net  Speed 
260  242 

220  201 

180  173 

160  101 


The  reports  of  this  contest  do  not  state  the  number 
of  errors  made  by  each  contestant,  therefore  no  com- 
parison can  be  made  with  present  methods. 

FINAL  CONTEST  FOR  THE  MINER  MEDAL 

The  final  contest  for  the  famous  Miner  Medal, 
known  as  the  Fifth  International  Shorthand  Speed 

Contest,  was  held  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  March  26, 1910. 
The  trophy  had  been  the 
source  of  some  of  the  fiercest 
competitions  between  writers 
of  ten  years'  or  less  experience 
in  the  history  of  contests. 
Following  the  contest  at  Prov- 
idence, 1909,  in  which  none  of 
the  contestants  qualified,  Mr. 
Miner  announced  that  the 
trophy  would  be  competed  for 
for  the  last  time  at  Washing- 
ton in  1910.  Consequently, 
the  contest  drew  the  largest  number  of  contestants  of 
any  previous  competition  for  this  medal.  The  medal 


Fred  H.  Gurtler,  Final  Winner 
of  the  Miner  Medal 


16          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

was  won  permanently  by  Mr.  Fred  H.  Gurtler  of 
Chicago;  second  place  was  won  by  Mr.  Charles  L. 
Swem,  a  boy  of  seventeen,  and  third  place  was  won  by 
Miss  Salome  Tarr,  also  seventeen.  Miss  Tarr  estab- 
lished a  new  world's  record  for  accuracy,  transcribing 
the  140  matter  with  only  four  errors,  giving  her  a  per- 
centage of  99.4  per  cent.  Miss  Tarr  had  started  the 
study  of  shorthand  less  than  two  years  previously.  Mr. 
Swem  who  won  second  place  had  also  started  the  study 
of  shorthand  less  than  two  years  previously.  Mr. 
Gurtler 's  speed  of  173  words  a  minute  net,  on  straight 
literary  matter,  dictated  at  180  words  a  minute,  set  a 
new  world's  record  in  the  Miner  Medal  contests  on 
matter  of  this  type,  and  exceeded  by  23  words  a 
minute  the  best  previous  record.  Following  is  a 
tabulation  of  the  results  of  the  contest: 

Net  Per  Cent 

Name                         System  Speed  Errors  Speed  Errors 

Fred  H.  Gurtler        Gregg  180  38  173  4.2 

Charles  Lee  Swem     Gregg  180  79  163  8.7 

Salome  L.  Tarr         Gregg  140  4  139.4  .6 

Gordon  Payne         Pitman  140  11  138  1.7 

George  W.  Hoyt    Graham  140  11  138  1.7 

S.  A.  Van  Petten  "Success"  140  11  138  1.7 

Marie  J.  Warren  Pitmanic  140  16  137  2.3 

Charles  Lee  Swem     Gregg  140  18  136.6  2.4 

Ernest  G.  Wiese        Gregg  140  49  130.4  6.9 

A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  MINER  MEDAL 

The  Miner  Medal  was  first  offered  in  1905  by  Mr. 
E.  N.  Miner,  editor  of  the  Phonographic  World,  to  be 
competed  for  annually  by  stenographers  of  not  more 
than  ten  years'  experience,  the  contest  to  be  open  to  the 
world.  The  original  plan  was  to  give  the  medal  to  the 
writer  who  won  it  three  times  in  succession.  The  first 
contest  was  held  in  Baltimore  in  1906,  and  attracted 


HISTORY  OF  THE  MINER  MEDAL 


17 


wide  attention.  Mr.  Sidney  H.  Godfrey,  of  London, 
won  the  medal  in  this  contest  with  a  net  speed  of  150 
words  a  minute.  At  the  next  contest,  held  in  Boston, 
he  was  again  successful,  with  a  net  speed  of  123  words 
a  minute.  The  next  year  a  change  in  the  rules  of  the 
committee  allowed  testimony  to  be  used,  in  which  the 
Q's  and  A's  were  counted  but  not 
written,  and  Mr.  Clyde  H.  Mar- 
shall, of  Chicago,  who  began  the 
study  of  shorthand  over  ten  years 
before  the  contest,  was  allowed 
to  enter — through  a  new  inter- 
pretation of  the  rules — and  was 
declared  the  winner. 

The  fourth  contest  was  held  in 
Providence,  R.  I.  Mr.  Godfrey 
was  excluded  from  this  contest 
by  the  operation  of  the  rule  which 
required  that  the  contestant  must 
have  had  not  more  than  ten  years' 
experience.  Again  changes  were 
made  in  the  committee's  rules  re- 
garding the  matter,  and  two  tran- 
scripts were  required  from  each 
competitor,  one  on  straight  matter 
and  the  other  on  testimony.  This 
rule  was  intended  to  make  it  an 
"even  break"  for  the  expert  on 
"testimony"  and  the  expert  on  "straight"  matter, 
but  in  practice  it  was  found  that  the  unfamiliar 
matter  for  each  kind  of  writer  brought  the  average 
of  errors  up  to  such  a  high  point  that  none  of  the 
contestants  qualified  under  the  rule  requiring  less 
than  ten  per  cent  of  errors.  At  the  suggestion  of 


The  Miner  Medal 


18          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Mr.  Miner,  the  donor  of  the  medal,  it  was  announced 
that  the  next  contest,  to  be  held  in  Washington, 
would  be  the  final  one,  and  the  winner  there  would 
become  the  permanent  owner  of  the  medal  "to  have 
and  to  hold  forever."  Thus  Mr.  Gurtler,  in  winning, 
became  the  permanent  owner  of  a  medal,  which, 
having  twice  crossed  the  ocean,  and  having  been 
fought  for  so  valiantly  on  five  battlegrounds,  carries 
with  it  an  interest  and  a  historic  value  that  cannot  be 
justly  measured  in  a  few  ounces  of  gold  from  which  it 
was  so  artistically  wrought. 

FIRST  EAGAN  CUP  CONTEST 

The  first  contest  for  the  Eagan  International  Trophy 
was  held  at  the  Baltimore  Business  College,  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  March,  1906,  at  the  annual  convention  of 
the  Eastern  Commercial  Teachers'  Association.  The 
entries,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Temple,  were  the 
same  as  those  in  the  Miner  Medal  contest,  which  was 
held  the  same  day — Mr.  Sidney  H.  Godfrey  (Isaac 
Pitman  system),  of  England,  Mr.  Clyde  H.  Marshall 
("Success"  system)  and  Mr.  Fred  Irland  (Graham 
system),  of  Washington. 

None  of  the  contestants  being  able  to  qualify  with 
the  required  accuracy  within  the  prescribed  time  the 
cup  was  not  awarded. 

SECOND  EAGAN  CUP  CONTEST 

The  second  contest  for  the  Eagan  International 
Trophy  was  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  Eastern 
Commercial  Teachers'  Association  at  Simmons  College, 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  March  30,  1907.  The  com- 


SECOND  EAGAN  CUP  CONTEST 


19 


mittee  in  charge  of  the  contest  was  composed  of  Mr. 

Charles  Currier  Beale,  of  Boston,  chairman;  Kendrick 

C.  Hill,  of  Trenton,  New 
Jersey;  W.  W.  Collins,  of 
Boston;  Dr.  Woodford  D. 
Anderson,  New  York  City; 
Charles  E.  Smith,  of  Toronto, 
Canada;  B.  J.  Griffin,  of 
Springfield,  Massachusetts; 
Charles  T.  Platt,  of  Hobo- 
ken,  New  Jersey,  and  D.  H. 
O'Keefe,  of  New  York  City. 
Mr.  Beale  and  Mr.  Bates 
Torrey  were  the  readers. 
There  were  eight  readings  at 
the  f  olio  wing  rates  of  speed : 
150,  165,  175,  187.6,  191, 

215,  235.8  and  250  words  a  minute — five  minutes  each. 
The  official  figures  are  as  follows : 


Nellie  Wood  Freeman,  Four 

Times  Winner  of  the 

Eagan  Cup 


Name 

Nellie  Wood 
G.  P.  Gehman 
Fred  Irland 
S.  H.  Godfrey 
M.  Welsh 


System 

I.  Pitman 

Graham 

Graham 

I.  Pitman 


Gross  Speed 

a  Minute 
225  (jury  charge) 
235  (jury  charge) 
235  (jury  charge) 
165  (straight  matter) 
150  (straight  matter) 


Ma-  Imma-     Net 

terial  terial  Speed  a 

Errors  Errors  Minute 

22  23  163 

28  19  158 

30  39  142 

24  7  123 

17  22  116 


Under  the  present  rating  these  contestants  would 
have  made  the  following  scores : 


Net 

Speed  a  Accu- 
Errors  Minute    racy 


Gross  Speed 

Name  System  a  Minute 

Nellie  Wood       I.  Pitman  225  (jury  charge)  45  216  96 

G.  P.  Gehman      Graham  235  (jury  charge)  47  225.6  95.9 

Fred  Irland  Graham  235  (jury  charge)  69  221  94.1 

S.  H.  Godfrey    I.  Pitman  165  (straight  matter)  31  158.8  96.2 

M.  Welsh  ?  150  (straight  matter)  39  142.2  94.8 


20          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

The  225  and  235  speeds  given  in  the  foregoing  were 
made  on  judge's  charge  to  the  jury.  The  trophy  was 
awarded  to  Miss  Wood. 


THIRD  EAGAN  CUP  CONTEST 

This  contest  was  held  simultaneously  with  the  Miner 
Medal  contest,  with  the  same  speeds  of  dictation  and 
the  same  committee  hi  charge.  The  official  figures  are 
as  follows : 

Net  Speed 
a  Minute 

253 
245 
242 
238 
215 
201 

Miss  Wood  was  again  awarded  the  cup.  Mr.  Godfrey 
who  had  qualified  twice  for  the  Miner  Medal  failed  to 
win  this  time  and  the  medal  went  to  Mr.  C.  H.  Marshall. 


FOURTH  EAGAN  CUP  CONTEST 

The  fourth  contest  for  the  Eagan  Cup  was  held  at 
the  meeting  of  the  Eastern  Commercial  Teachers' 
Association  convention  at  Providence,  Rhode  Island, 
April  10,  1909.  Dictations  were  given  as  follows: 
200  words  a  minute  straight  literary  matter  (sermon) ; 
220  and  240  words  a  minute  jury  charge;  240,  260,  and 
280  words  a  minute  testimony.  Eleven  contestants 
presented  themselves,  four  signifying  their  intention 
of  competing  for  the  cup;  six  competed  for  both  the 


Kind  of 

Gross  Speed 

Name 

System 

Matter 

a  Minute 

Nellie  M.  Wood 

I.  Pitman 

Testimony 

260 

G.  P.  Gehman 

Graham 

Testimony 

260 

C.  H.  Marshall 

"Success" 

Testimony 

260 

C.  W.  Phillips 

I.  Pitman 

Testimony 

260 

W.  E.  Newton 

? 

Testimony 

260 

S.  H.  Godfrey 

I.  Pitman 

Testimony 

220 

FOURTH  EAGAN  CUP  CONTEST  21 

cup  and  the  Miner  Medal;    and  one  for  the  Miner 
Medal.    The  official  figures  are  as  follows: 

Aver. 

Matter                             Gross  Words       Errors       Net  Words  Rate 

Nellie  M.  Wood  (I.  Pitman;  16  yrs.  experience) 

Testimony                             1386                64                1322  264.4 

Judge's  Charge                      1202                64                1138  227.6 

Willard  B.  Bottome  (Graham;  15  yrs.  experience) 

Testimony                             1309                78                1231  246.2 

Judge's  Charge                      1202              111                1091  218.2 

Clyde  H.  Marshall  ("Success" ;  11  yrs.  experience) 

Testimony                             1386              206                1180  236 

Judge's  Charge                      1202              149                1053  210.6 

Fred  H.  Gurtler  (Gregg;  4J^  yrs.  experience) 

Testimony                             1309              219                1090  218 

Sermon    '                                982                97                 885  177 


The  committee  had  announced  that  papers  contain- 
ing more  than  10  per  cent  of  errors  would  be  disqualified. 
Miss  Wood  was  awarded  the  Eagan  Cup,  and  as  she 
had  won  it  three  times  in  succession  it  became  her 
permanent  property. 

The  committee  in  charge  of  the  contest  was  composed 
of  the  following :  Charles  C.  Beale,  chairman;  Oscar  L. 
Detweiler;  George  A.  McBride;  James  N.  Kimball; 
Charles  F.  Roberts;  Augustus  T.  Swift;  and  Edward  H. 
Eldridge. 

The  cup  having  been  won  permanently,  the  Eagan 
Cup  contests  terminated.  Following  this  contest,  the 
holding  of  the  championship  contest  was  taken  over 
by  the  National  Shorthand  Reporters'  Association,  and 
the  first  contest  was  held  at  Lake  George  in  the  summer 
of  1909. 


22          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

THE    1919   CHAMPIONSHIP   CONTEST   AT 
DETROIT 

In  this  picture  J.  E.  Fuller,  of  Wilmington,  Chairman 
of  the  Contest  Committee,  is  standing  with  the  book  in 
his  hand;  Louis  Schrader,  of  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  official 
time-keeper,  stands  back  of  Mr.  Fuller,  with  hand 
raised,  ready  to  tap  Mr.  Fuller's  shoulder  when  the 
split-second  hand  on  the  stop-watch  passes  the  quarter 
minute  on  its  dial.  Seated  back  of  Mr.  Schrader  is  E. 
H.  Eldridge,  of  Boston,  who  alternated  as  reader  with 
Mr.  Fuller.  To  the  left  of  Mr.  Eldridge  are  seated  the 
official  checkers,  Edwin  L.  Allen,  of  Pittsburgh,  and 
Frank  Weller,  of  St.  Louis.  They  hold  carbon  copies 
of  the  matter  being  dictated,  noting  thereon  such 
variations  as  the  reader  inadvertently  makes,  as  the 
writers  are  held  responsible  only  for  what  is  read.  At 
the  extreme  right  of  the  picture  is  Fred  H.  Gurtler, 
of  Chicago,  who  won  the  final  contest  for  the  Miner 
Medal  in  1910. 

In  front  of  Mr.  Fuller  is  Jerome  Victory,  of  Jersey 
City,  and  at  the  same  table  are  Neale  Ransom,  of 
Jersey  City,  and  Miss  Helen  Evans,  of  Chicago.  J. 
Burton  Faulkner,  of  Cincinnati,  is  in  the  background 
at  the  extreme  left,  wearing  spectacles,  and  at  the  same 
table  is  William  F.  Smart,  of  New  York.  J.  F.  Daly, 
of  New  York,  is  at  the  next  table,  with  his  back  to  Mr. 
Smart,  and  H.  G.  Reigner,  of  Detroit,  is  seated  at  the 
same  table,  busy  at  his  note-book. 

Albert  Schneider,  then  but  a  year  out  of  the  New 
York  High  School  of  Commerce,  and  who  won  the  World 
Championship  two  years  later,  is  shown,  in  part,  at  the 
table  in  the  foreground.  Seated  at  the  same  table  as 
Mr.  Schneider,  and  facing  the  camera,  is  his  classmate, 


24          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

William  Rosenberg,  who  won  the  School  Championship 
of  New  York  in  1916. 


THE  CHAMPIONSHIP  CONTESTS  OF  THE 

NATIONAL  SHORTHAND  REPORTERS' 

ASSOCIATION 

The  championship  contests  of  the  National  Short- 
hand Reporters'  Association  were  begun  in  August, 
1909,  following  the  final 
awarding  of  the  Eagan 
Cup  in  the  champion- 
ship contests  held  under 
the  auspices  of  the 
Eastern  Commercial 
Teachers'  Association. 
A  trophy,  which  was 
accepted  by  the  Asso- 
ciation, was  offered  by 
the  Shorthand  Writer, 
a  magazine  published  in 
Chicago,  in  the  form 
of  a  cup  to  be  known 
as  the  "Shorthand  Writer 

Cup,"    to    be    Competed    Willard  B.  Bottome,  First  Winner  of  the 

for  annually  in  the  speed  «•  *£ 

contests  of  the  National 

Shorthand  Reporters'  Association  until  won  three  times 

in  succession,  when  it  would  become  the  property  of 

the  winner. 

The  types  of  matter  selected  for  the  Eagan  Cup 
Contests  and  the  method  of  rating  transcripts,  as  well 
as  lack  of  standardization  in  speeds,  was  realized  to  be 
inadequate  and  incapable  of  a  comparison  with  the 


N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTESTS 


25 


records  of  previous  or  future  years  that  would  be  of 
value  to  writers.    Consequently,  when  the  contest  was 

taken  over  by  the  National 
Association,  an  effort  was 
made  to  standardize  both 
method  and  matter. 

The  first  contest  was  held 
at  Lake  George,  New  York. 
Five-minute  dictations  were 
given  at  150  and  175  words 
a  minute  for  certificates, 


Clyde  H.  Marshall,  Second 

Winner  of  the  N.  S.  R.  A. 

World's  Shorthand 

Championship 

with  an  allowance  of  only  5 
per  cent  for  errors.  The 
championship  tests  consisted 
of  five-minute  dictations  at 
200,  220  and  240  words  a 
minute  on  jury  charge,  and 
280  words  a  minute  on  tes- 
timony. Contestants  were 
required  to  transcribe  one  of 
the  jury  charge  "takes"  and 
the  testimony  "take."  The 
220  jury  charge,  was,  however, 
dictated  at  only  207  words  a 
minute  on  account  of  an  error 
accuracy  was  required  in  each 


Charles  L.  Swem,  Who  Wort 
Third  Place  in  the  World's 
Championship,  1912.  Mr. 
Swem  was  afterwards  Ap- 
pointed Official  Reporter  to  the 
President  of  the  United  States 
and  held  this  position  during 
Mr.  Wilson's  Two  Terms 


in  timing.    90  per  cent 
championship  dictation. 


Note:  The  author  regrets  that  he  was  unable  to  secure  photographs  of  either  Mr. 
Behrin  or  Mr.  Victory,  to  use  in  connection  with  the  N.  S.  R.  A.  championship  history. 


26 


SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 


Albert  Schneider,  Winner  of 
World's  Shorthand  Cham- 
pionship in  1921 


In  1910,  dictations  were  given  at  150  and  175 
straight  literary  matter  for  certificates;  95  per  cent 
accuracy  required.  The  cham- 
pionship dictations  consisted 
of  five-minute  dictations  at 
200  words  a  minute  straight 
literary  matter  (speech);  240 
words  a  minute  jury  charge, 
and  280  words  a  minute  tes- 
timony; 90  per  cent  accuracy 
required.  These  dictations 
were  standardized  for  1911, 
1912,  and  1913.  In  1913  the 
required  ac- 
curacy was 
changed  from 
90  per  cent  to 

95  per  cent.  In  1914  the  240  jury 
charge  was  eliminated  and  a  piece 
of  straight  literary  matter  at  220 
words  a  minute  substituted.  The 
Shorthand  Writer  Cup  having  been 
awarded  permanently  to  the  winner 
in  1913,  a  medal  was  provided  by  the 
Association  to  be  awarded  to  the 
winner  in  1914.  There  were  no  con- 
tests in  1915,  1916,  1917,  and  1918  on 
account  of  the  war.  The  contests 
were  resumed  in  1919  on  the  standard 

The  trophy  of  the  basis'      Preceding    the    1919    contest, 
N.  S.  R.  A.  Short-  a  cup  was  provided  by  the  Associa- 

hand Championship    .•          .       r       known     as    thp    "National 

LlvJil      \j\j      Ut5     JvllL/VVll      do      Lilt?  -1A  cL\jl\JL\.c(iL 

Shorthand  Reporters'  Association  Trophy,  Shorthand 
Championship  Cup." 


WINNERS  OF  N.  S.  R.  A.  CHAMPIONSHIP       27 


WINNERS  OF  THE  N.  S.  R.  A.  WORLD 
SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP 


Name 

Willard  B.  Bottome 
Clyde  C.  Marshall 
Nathan  Behrin 
Jerome  Victory 
Albert  Schneider 


System 

Graham  System 
"Success"  System 
I.  Pitman  System 
Osgoodby  System 
Gregg  System 


The  results  of  the  different  contests  are  given  in  the 
following : 


1909  N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTEST 
(Lake  George) 


SPEED  CONTEST  COMMITTEE 
J.  N.  Kimball,  Chairman 


O.  L.  Detweiler 
George  A.  McBride 
Charles  H.  Requa 
Charles  H.  McGurrin 
Fred  J.  Rose 
E.  H.  Eldridge 


Philadelphia 

Philadelphia 

Brooklyn 

Kalamazoo,  Mich. 

Chicago 

Boston 


Munson 
I.  Pitman 
Lindsley 
Graham 
I.  Pitman 
"Success" 


TABULATED  RESULTS 


200 

(1002  words 
dictated) 


207 

(1036  words 
dictated) 


Net  .Net 

Name  Err.  Spd.  Accy.   Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

W/B.  Bottoms  12  204.8  98.84 

Frank  Burt  41  192.2  95.9 

Clyde  Marshall  83  190.6  91.99 

J.  D.  Carson  45  198.2  95.66 

Ernest  B.  Elson  46  191.2  95.4 


280 

(1386  words 
dictated) 

Net 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 
78  261.6  94.37 
156  246  88.74 
114  254.4  91.77 
131  251  90.55 


The  championship  was  awarded  to  Mr.  Bottome. 


28 


1910  N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTEST 
(Denver) 


SPEED  CONTEST  COMMITTEE 


J.  N.  Kimball,  Chairman 


E.  H.  Eldridge 
Charles  H.  Requa 
George  A.  McBride 
Frank  H.  Barto 
Fred  J.  Rose 
Walter  M.  Scott 
J.  C.  Lowe 


Boston 

Brooklyn 

Philadelphia 

Washington 

Chicago 

Lima,  Ohio 

Minot,  N.  Dak. 


"Success" 
Lindsley 
I.  Pitman 
B.  Pitman 
I.  Pitman 
Graham 
Graham 


TABULATED   RESULTS 


200 

(1002  words 
dictated) 


240 

(1199  words 
dictated) 


Net  Net 

Name  Err.    Spd.     Accy.  Err.    Spd. 

Clyde  Marshall  39     192.6    96.11     85    222.8 
W.  B.  Bottome 
Nellie  Wood 


280 

(1402  words 
dictated) 


Net 

Accy.  Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

92.91  62  268  95.58 

57  269  95.93 

81  264.2  94.22 


The  championship  was  awarded  to  Mr.  Marshall. 


29 


1911  N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTEST 
(Buffalo) 

SPEED  CONTEST  COMMITTEE 


J.  N.  Kimball,  Chairman 


E.  H.  Eldridge 
Charles  H.  Requa 
George  A.  McBride 
Frank  H.  Barto 
Fred  J.  Rose 
Walter  M.  Scott 
J.  C.  Lowe 
Frank  H.  Hurt 
Gordon  L.  Elliott 
Samuel  Powis,  Jr. 
Charles  F.  Roberts 
Charles  H.  Magee 
James  E.  Fuller 


Boston 

Brooklyn 

Philadelphia 

Washington 

Chicago 

Lima,  Ohio 

Minot,  N.  Dak. 

Boston 

Mason  City,  Iowa 

Trenton,  N.  J. 

New  Haven,  Conn. 

Birmingham,  Ala. 

Wilmington,  Del. 


"Success" 

Lindsley 

I.  Pitman 

B.  Pitman 

I.  Pitman 

Graham 

Graham 

Munson 

"Success" 

Graham 

Graham 

Graham 

B.  Pitman 


280 


TABULATED   RESULTS 

200  240 

(1002  words 
dictated) 

Net  Net  Net 

Name  Err.  Spd.     Accy.  Err.  Spd.  Accy.  Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

J.  D.  Carson  35  233     97.08 

Clyde  Marshall  18  196.8  98.2  10  238     99.17 

Charles  L.  Swem          40  192.4  96  15  237     98.75 

W.  B.  Bottome  41  192.2  95.91  26  234.8  97.83    100  260  92.86 

Nathan  Behrin  18  196.8  98.2  40  232     96.67     60  268  95.71 

The  championship  was  awarded  to  Mr.  Behrin.  In 
this  contest  both  Mr.  Charles  Swem  and  Mr.  Clyde 
Marshall  established  a  world's  record  on  jury  charge, 
the  former  writing  237  and  the  latter  238  net  words  a 
minute. 


30 


ADAMS  TROPHY  CONTEST,  1911 

In  addition  to  the  championship  contest,  a  contest 
was  held  for  the  Adams  Trophy,  a  cup  offered  for  the 
most  accurate  records  at  150  and  170  words  a  minute 
straight  literary  matter,  190  words  a  minute  jury 
charge,  and  210  words  a  minute  testimony,  in  which  the 
questions  and  answers  were  neither  read  nor  counted. 
Speed  certificates  were  awarded  to  all  who  qualified 
at  these  speeds,  as  well  as  at  the  championship  speeds. 

Errors  Errors  Errors  Errors  Per- 
in  150  in  170  in  190  in  210  Errors  cent- 
Name                             Test  Test  Test  Test  Total  age 
Nellie  Wood                        4  5  2  7  18  99.5 
Nathan  Behrin                    3  5  8  8  24  99.3 
Charles  L.  Swem                 4  3  8  13  28  99.2 
H.  E.  Anstie                        6  16  6  8  36  99.0 
W.  B.  Bottome                   5  22  3  9  39  98.9 
J.  D.  Carson                        6  18  14  22  60  98.3 
Clyde  Marshall                  22  10  27  10  69  98.1 
J.  B.  Faulkner                   28  32  20  23  103  97.2 

In  this  contest  Mr.  Swem  established  a  world's 
record  for  accuracy  on  straight  literary  matter  at  170 
words  a  minute — 99.7  per  cent  perfect. 

Certificates  were  awarded  as  follows  to  those  who 
did  not  qualify  on  all  the  dictations : 


150 

190 

210 

Net 

Net 

Net 

Name 

Err.  Spd.    Accy. 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

Paula  Werning 

20     146     97.3 

20    206     98.0 

H.  E.  Barnet 

20     186    97.8 

20    206     98.0 

Frank  Weller 

35     183    96.3 

30    204    97.1 

W.  R.  Hill 

35     183    96.3 

Salome  Tarr 

45     181     95.2 

25    205    97.6 

Ned  L.  Harmon 

35    203     96.6 

W.  N.  Duffy 

50    200    95.2 

Miss  Wood  was  awarded  the  trophy. 

31 


1912  N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTEST 
(New  York) 

SPEED  CONTEST  COMMITTEE 
J.  N.  Kimball,  Chairman 


E.  H.  Eldridge 
James  E.  Fuller 
George  A.  McBride 
G.  R.  Leonard 
Walter  M.  Scott 
Paul  Wisenall 


Boston 

Wilmington,  Del. 
Philadelphia 
Chicago 
Lima,  Ohio 


"Success" 
B.  Pitman 
I.  Pitman 
Gurney 
Graham 
B.  Pitman 


TABULATED  RESULTS 


200 

240 

• 

280 

Net 

Net 

Net 

Name 

Err. 

Spd. 

Accy. 

Err. 

Spd. 

Accy. 

Err. 

Spd. 

Accy. 

Nellie  Wood 

85 

183.0 

91.5 

103 

219.4 

91.42 

120 

257.4 

91.47 

W.  B.  Bottome 

70 

186.0 

93.0 

46 

230.8 

96.17 

89 

263.6 

93.67 

Clyde  Marshall 

42 

191.6 

95.8 

60 

228.0 

95.00 

70 

267.4 

95.02 

Charles  L.  Swem 

50 

190.0 

95.0 

39 

232.2 

96.76 

64 

268.6 

95.45 

J.  D.  Carson 

44 

191.2 

95.6 

22 

235.6 

98.17 

53 

270.8 

96.23 

Nathan  Behrin 

58 

188.4 

94.2 

15 

237.0 

98.75 

17 

278.0 

98.79 

The  championship  was  awarded  to  Mr.  Behrin. 


32 


1913  N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTEST 
(Chicago) 


SPEED  CONTEST  COMMITTEE 
J.  N.  Kimball,  Chairman 


James  E.  Fuller 
E.  H.  Eldridge 
Frank  H.  Barto 
Walter  M.  Scott 
James  F.  Campbell 
J.  A.  Williams 


Wilmington,  Del. 

Boston 

Washington 

Lima,  Ohio 

New  York 

Council  Bluffs,  Iowa 


B.  Pitman 
"Success" 
B.  Pitman 
Graham 
I.  Pitman 
Gregg 


Name 

A.  Russell 
J.  A.  Butler 


TABULATED   RESULTS 

150  175 

Net  Net 

Err.  Spd.   Accy.  Err.  Spd.    Accy. 

29   144.2  96.13 

28   144.4  96.27    41    166.8  95.31 


200  240  280 

Net  Net  Net 

Name  Err.  Spd.  Accy.   Err.  Spd.    Accy.   Err.  Spd.    Accy. 

J.  D.  Carson  44  191.2  95.6  75  225.0  93.75  129  254.2  90.78 
Nathan  Behrin  8  198.4  99.2  14  237.2  98.83  44  271.2  96.86 
Paula  Werning  27  194.6  97.3  42  231.6  96.5 

The  championship  was  again  won  by  Mr.  Behrin. 
Mr.  Behrin  having  won  the  cup  three  times  in  succession, 
became  the  permanent  possessor  of  it. 


33 


1914  N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTEST 
(Atlantic  City) 


SPEED  CONTEST  COMMITTEE 


J.  N.  Kimball,  Chairman 


James  E.  Fuller 
E.  H.  Eldridge 
R.  E.  Fuller 
J.  A.  Williams 
Walter  M.  Scott 
George  W.  Hoyt 


Wilmington,  Del. 

Boston 

Chicago 

Council  Bluffs,  Iowa 

Lima,  Ohio 

Williamsport,  Pa. 


B.  Pitman 

"Success" 

B.  Pitman 

Gregg 

Graham 

Graham 


Name 

J.  M.  Shaffer 
A.  C.  Gerber 
J.  W.  Christie 
P.  W.  Peavey 
H.  W.  Syfrig 


Name 

J.  D.  Carson 
Nathan  Behrin 
Earl  PendeJl 
Nellie  Wood 
G.  D.  Ziegler 
Neale  Ransom 


TABULATED  RESULTS 

150 

Net 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

7  148.6  99.07 

10  148.0  98.67 

17  146.6  97.73 

22  145.6  97.07 

25  145.0  96.67 

200          220          280 

Net  Net  Net 

Err.  Spd.  Accy.  Err.  Spd.    Accy.  Err.  Spd.   Accy. 


11  197.8  98.90 

13  197.4  98.70 

25  195.0  97.50 

49  190.2  95.10 


47  210.6  95.73 


39  272.2  97.21 

19  276.2  98.64 

34  273.2  97.57 

42  271.6  97.00 

33  273.4  97.64 

55  269.0  96.07 


The  championship  title  was  awarded  to  Mr.  Behrin. 
The  Shorthand  Writer  Cup  having  been  won  three  times 
in  succession,  a  gold  medal  was  presented  to  the  winner. 


34 


1919  N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTEST 
(Detroit) 

SPEED  CONTEST  COMMITTEE 
James  E.  Fuller,  Chairman 


Henry  S.  Sanders 
Edwin  I.  Allen 
Frederick  H.  Gurtler 
Frank  Weller 


New  York 
Pittsburgh 
Chicago 
St.  Louis 


Munson 

Pitmanic 

Gregg 

B.  Pitman 


TABULATED  RESULTS 

Owing  to  war-time  conditions,  no  contests  were  held 
in  1915,  1916,  1917,  and  1918.  The  1919  contest  was 
held  at  Detroit.  In  addition  to  the  150  and  175  words 
a  minute  speed  certificate  dictations,  it  was  planned  to 
give  dictations  at  215  and  230.  Owing  to  a  mistake  in 
timing  the  230  dictation  was  given  at  203  words  a 
minute.  But  one  writer  qualified  in  the  championship, 
with  results  as  follows: 


150 

175 

203 

(752  words 

(873  words 

(1015  words 

dictated) 

dictated) 

dictated) 

Net 

Net 

'  Net 

Name 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

Err.   Spd.  Accy. 

J.  B.  Faulkner 

3    149.8   99.87 

H.  G.  Reigner 

5    149.4   99.30 

C.  P.  Armbruster 

6    149.2   99.00 

F.  M.  Palmer 

15   147.4  98.00 

L.  W.  Temple 

33   143.8  95.00 

W.  F.  Smart 

21    170.4  97.6 

J.  F.  Daly 

34    196.2   96.6 

200 

240 

280 

(1211  words 

(1405  words 

dictated) 

dictated) 

Net 

Net 

Net 

Name 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

Err.  Spd.   Accy. 

Jerome  Victory 

15   197.0  98.5 

39  234.4 

69  267.2   95.08 

J.  B.  Faulkner 

28    194.4  97.2 

J.  F.  Daly 

32   193.6  96.8 

54  231.4 

Fred  H.  Gurtler 

34   193.2   96.6 

Albert  Schneider 

50   190.0  95.0 

Neale  Ransom 

56  269.8  96.01 

The  championship  was  won  by  Mr.  Victory. 

35 


1920  N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

SPEED  CONTEST  COMMITTEE 
James  E.  Fuller,  Chairman 


Henry  S.  Sanders 
Edwin  I.  Allen 
Frederick  H.  Gurtler 
Frank  Weller 


New  York 
Pittsburgh 
Chicago 
St.  Louis 


Munson 
Pitmanic 
Gregg 
B.  Pitman 


TABULATED   RESULTS 


150 

(755  words 
dictated) 

Net 

Name  Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

Albert  Schneider 

Mettje  Middaugh   0   151       100.00 
L.  H.  Weisen- 

4   150.2 
150.2 


175  215 

(872  words  (1075  words 

dictated)  dictated) 

Net  Net 

Err.  Spd.    Accy.  Err.  Spd.  Accy. 
172.2   98.74 


11 
16 


171.2   98.17 


burger 

E.  A.  Reilender 
Neale  Ransom         5   150 
W.  A.  J.  Warne- 

ment  .6   149.8 

J.  E.  McGuinness  9  149.2 
W.  F.  Smart  11  148.8 
Ethel  Maclaskey  12  148.6 
Mrs.  C.  S.  Miller  19  147.2 
J.  Royse 
T.  J.  McCarthy 
R.  MacRae 
W.  L.  James 


99.47 
99.47 
99.34 


21  146.8 

25  146 

26  145.8 
145.4 


28 
N.  N.  Woodman   37   143.6 


99.21 
98.81 
98.54 
98.41 
97.48 
97.22 
96.69 
96.56 
96.29 
95.10 


16   171.2   98.17 
20   170.4  97.71 


13  171.8  98.51 
20  170.4  97.71 
44  165.6  95 


29   209.2   97.30 


200 

(1002  words 
dictated) 

Net 

Name  Err.  Spd. 

Albert  Schneider    16   197.2 
J.  F.  Daly  26   195.2 

W.  B.  Bottome      39   192.6 
Jerome  Victory      46   191.2 


240 


Net 

Accy.  Err.  Spd.  Accy. 
98.40 

97.41     52   229.6  95.67 
96.11 
95.41 


The  championship  title  was  retained  by  Mr.  Victory. 


36 


1921  N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTEST 
(Niagara  Falls,  Ontario) 

SPEED  CONTEST  COMMITTEE 
James  E.  Fuller,  Chairman 


Nathan  Behrin 
Henry  S.  Sanders 
E.  H.  Eldridge 
Frederick  H.  Gurtler 


New  York 
New  York 
Boston 
Chicago 


I.  Pitman 
Munson 
"Success" 
Gregg 


TABULATED  RESULTS 

150                         175 

(747  words             (873  words 
dictated)                dictated) 
Net                         Net 
Name                 Err.  Spd.  Accy.  Err.  Spd.    Accy. 

215 

(1074  words 
dictated) 
Net 
Err.  Spd.    Accy. 

Albert  Schneider 

3 

174.0 

99.65 

18  211.2   98.32 

Jerome  Victory 
J.  F.  Daly 
Nellie  Wood  Free- 

6 

148.2 

99.19 

10 

172.6 

98.85 

21   210.6   98.04 
33   208.2  96.92 

man 

33  208.2   96.92 

W.  B.  Bottome 

3 

174.0 

99.65 

Alice  Mengelkoch 
E.  A.  Reilender 

4 
6 

148.6 
148.2 

99.46 
99.19 

7 
7 

173.2 
173.2 

99.19 
99.19 

W.  A.  J.  Warnement 

7 

173.2 

99.19 

Neale  Ransom 

8 

147.8 

98.92 

9 

172.8 

98.96 

L.  W.  Meyer 
Ben  H.  Keller 

1 

14 

149.2 
146.6 

99.86 
98.12 

11 
13 

172.4 
172.0 

98.73 
98.51 

Helen  W.  Evans 

8 

147.8 

98.92 

15 

171.6 

98.28 

C.  P.  Armbruster 

1 

149.2 

99.86 

17 

171.2 

98.05 

L.  H.  Weisenburger 
Elnora  Diehl 

3 

26 

148.8 
144.2 

99.59 
96.51 

18 
21 

171.1 
170.4 

97.93 
97.59 

N.  M.  George 
T.  J.  McCarthy 
Herman  N.  Pugh 
N.  H.  Balcomb 

8 

10 
2 
3 

147.8 
147.4 
149.0 
148.8 

98.92 
98.66 
99.73 
99.59 

28 
38 

169.0 
167.0 

96.78 
95.63 

Urina  Roberts 

6 

148.2 

99.19 

Martin  J.  Dupraw 
J.  E.  Broadwater 

7 

10 

148.0 
147.4 

99.06 
98.66 

Edward  W.  Cooper 
Thomas  Bengough 
Ray  Farell 
Kenneth  L.  Policy 
Ruth  C.  Hart 

10 
19 
20 
25 
31 

147.4 
145.6 
145.4 
144.4 
143.2 

98.66 
97.45 
97.32 
96.65 
95.85 

37 

38 


SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 


Name 

Albert  Schneider 
J.  F.  Daly 
Neale  Ransom 
Jerome  Victory 
Nellie  Wood 

Freeman 
E.  A.  Reilender 
W.  B.  Bottome 
Leonard  W.  Meyer 
W.  A.  J.  Warne- 

ment 
L.  H.  Weisenburger 


200 

(1003  words 
dictated) 

Net 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 
12  198.2  98.80 
30  194.6  97.01 


240 

(1203  words 
dictated) 

Net 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 

22   236.2  98.17 

12  238.2  99.00 

21    236.4  98.25 

24  235.8  98.00 

38  233.0  96.84 

38  233.0  96.84 

44   231.8  96.34 

49  230.8  95.93 

52  230.2  95.68 

62   229.0  95.00 


280 

(1391  words 
dictated) 

Net 

Err.  Spd.  Accy. 
44  269.4  96.84 
59  266.4  95.76 
61  266.0  95.61 


The  championship  was  won  by  Mr.  Schneider.  Mr. 
Schneider  not  only  won  the  championship,  but  estab- 
lished two  world's  records.  He  transcribed  the  215 
straight  literary  matter  dictation  with  an  accuracy 
percentage  of  98.32,  and  tied  with  Mr.  Willard  Bot- 
tome, official  court  stenographer  of  New  York  City, 
with  99.65  on  the  175  dictation.  He  transcribed  the 
five  highest  speed  dictations— 175,  200,  215, 240,  and  280 
words  a  minute — in  the  time  allotted  for  three.  The 
difficulty  of  the  championship  test  was  shown  by  the 
fact  that  only  one  other  writer,  out  of  the  largest 
number  of  contestants  in  any  contest,  was  able  to 
qualify. 


BEST  AMERICAN  RECORDS 


39 


BEST  AMERICAN  CONTEST  RECORDS 

N.  S.  R.  A.  Championship — 
200  Words  a  Minute — Straight  Literary  Matter 

Per-     In- 
Year's  Diet.  Net      cent     ten- 


Name 

System 

Year 

Exp. 

Speed  Errors  Speed 

Acc'y 

sity* 

Nathan  Behrin 

I.  Pitman 

1913 

9 

200 

8 

198.4 

99.2 

1.45 

Albert  Schneider 

Gregg 

1921 

5 

200.6 

12 

198.2 

98.8 

1.58 

J.  D.  Carson 

"Success" 

1914 

8 

200 

11 

197.8 

98.9 

1.53 

Jerome  Victory 

Osgoodby 

1919 

10 

200 

15 

197 

98.5 

1.42 

Clyde  Marshall 

"Success" 

1911 

16 

200.4 

18 

196.8 

98.2 

1.37 

J.  F.  Daly 

I.  Pitman 

1920 

6? 

200.4 

26 

195.2 

97.4 

1.54 

Earl  Pendell 

"Success" 

1914 

10? 

200 

25 

195 

97.5 

1.53 

Paula  Werning 

Gregg 

1913 

4 

200 

27 

194.6 

97.3 

1.45 

J.  B.  Faulkner 

"Success" 

1919 

19 

200 

28 

194.4 

97.2 

1.42 

Fred  H.  Gurtler 

Gregg 

1919 

15 

200 

34 

193.2 

96.6 

1.42 

W.  B.  Bottome 

Graham 

1920 

20 

200.4 

39 

192.6 

96.1 

1.54 

Charles  L.  Swem 

Gregg 

1911 

3 

200.4 

40 

192.4 

96 

1.37 

Nellie  Wood 

I.  Pitman 

1914 

23 

200 

49 

190.2 

95.1 

1.53 

Note:  Some  of  these  writers  have  qualified  more  than  once.  In  such 
cases  we  have  given  the  best  record  made.  Four  Gregg  writers  have 
qualified,  four  "Success,"  three  I.  Pitman,  one  Graham,  one  Osgoodby. 


240  WORDS  A  MINUTE— JURY  CHARGE 


Those  who  have  qualified  (best 
tation  are  as  follows : 

System 
I.  Pitman 
'Success" 
I.  Pitman 
Gregg 
Munson 
Gregg 
Osgoodby 
'Success" 
Graham 


records)  in  this  dic- 


Name 

John  F.  Daly 
Clyde  Marshall 
Nathan  Behrin 
Charles  L.  Swem 
Neale  Ransom 
Albert  Schneider 
Jerome  Victory 
J.  D.  Carson 
Willard  B.  Bottome 


Nellie  Wood  Freeman  I.  Pitman 
E.  A.  Reilender  "Success" 
Paula  Werning  Gregg 

Leonard  W.  Meyer  "Success" 
W.  A.  J.  Warnement" Success" 
L.  H.  Weisenburger  Gregg 


Years' 

Diet. 

Net 

Per 

cent 

Year 

Exp. 

Speed  Errors  Speed 

Acc'y 

1921 

6 

240.6 

12 

238.2 

99 

1911 

13 

240 

10 

238 

99.17 

1913 

9 

240 

14 

237.2 

98.83 

1911 

3 

240 

15 

237 

98.75 

1921 

11? 

240.6 

21 

236.4 

98.25 

1921 

5 

240.6 

22 

236.2 

98.17 

1921 

12 

240.6 

24 

235.8 

98 

1912 

6 

240 

22 

235.6 

98.17 

1911 

11 

240 

26 

234.8 

97.83 

1921 

30 

240.6 

38 

233 

96.84 

1921 

? 

240.6 

38 

233 

96.84 

1913 

4 

240 

42 

231.6 

96.5 

1921 

? 

240.6 

49 

230.8 

95.92 

1921 

? 

240.6 

52 

230.2 

95.67 

1921 

5 

240.6 

62 

229 

95 

*  Indicates  the  syllable  intensity  or  average  syllables  to  the  word  in  the  matter 
dictated. 


40 


SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 


Only  fifteen  writers  have  qualified  on  this  test 
within  five  per  cent  limit  of  errors.  In  these  tables 
we  are  giving  the  best  record  on  each  test  made  by 
each  writer. 


280  WORDS  A  MINUTE— TESTIMONY 

Only  twelve  writers  have  qualified  in  the  National 
Shorthand  Reporters'  Association  contests  within  the 
five  per  cent  limit  of  errors,  at  the  speed  of  280  words  a 
minute,  with  the  following  results: 


Name 

Nathan  Behrin 
George  D.  Ziegler 
Earl  Pendell 
J.  D.  Carson 
Nellie  Wood  Freema: 
Albert  Schneider 
Neale  Ransom 
Willard  B.  Bottome 
Charles  L.  Swem 
Clyde  Marshall 
Jerome  Victory 
John  F.  Daly 


System 


Per 

Years'    Diet.  Net       cent 

Year  Exp.    Speed  Errors  Speed  Acc'y 


I.  Pitman 
"Success" 
"Success" 
"Success" 
1  1.  Pitman 
Gregg 
Munson 
Graham 
Gregg 
"Success" 
Osgoodby 
I.  Pitman 

1912 
1914 
1914 
1914 
1914 
1921 
1919 
1910 
1912 
1910 
1919 
1921 

8 
? 

? 
8 
23 
5 
9? 
10 
4 
12 
10 
6 

281.4 
280 
280 
280 
280 
278.2 
281 
280.4 
281.4 
280.4 
281 
278.2 

17 
33 
34 
39 
42 
44 
56 
57 
64 
62 
69 
59 

278 
273.4 
273.2 
272.2 
271.6 
269.4 
269.8 
269 
268.6 
268 
267.2 
266.4 

98.79 
97.64 
97.57 
97.21 
97.00 
96.84 
96.00 
95.93 
95.45 
95.58 
95.10 
95.76 

THE  SOUTHWEST  SHORTHAND  REPORT- 
ERS' ASSOCIATION  CONTEST,  1920 

In  the  Southwest  Shorthand  Reporters'  Association 
speed  contest  held  at  Denver,  1920,  dictations  were 
given  at  180  solid  matter,  200  counsel's  argument  to 
the  jury  (practically  straight  matter),  and  260  testi- 
mony. The  following  are  the  results: 


S.  R.  A.  CONTEST 


41 


Net 

Net 

Net 

Average 

Speed 

Speed 

Speed 

Accu- 

System 

at  180 

at  200 

at  260 

racy 

Gregg 

177.4 

196.2 

252 

97.86 

I.  Pitman 

177 

198.4 

246.4 

97.43 

Graham 

174.4 

194.4 

237.2 

96.38 

"Success" 

178.4 

194.4 

236.4 

96.41 

"Success" 

168.8 

193.8 

246.8 

95.16 

Osgoodby 

194.4 

244.6 

Munson 

195.6 

242.2 

Gregg 

193.4 

? 

188.4 

I.  Pitman 

189.6 

"Success" 

193 

"Success" 

190.2 

? 

185.8 

237 

Name 

Albert  Schneider* 

J.  F.  Daly 

W.  B.  Bottome 

E.  A.  Reilender 

W.  A.  J.  Warnement 

Jerome  Victory 

Neale  Ransom 

L.  H.  Weisenburger 

R.  McRae 

W.  F.  Smart 

Mettje  Middaugh 

T.  J.  McCarthy 

J.  E.  McGuinness 


The  contest  was  open  to  all  writers  and  there  were 
about  fifty  entries,  but  only  Southwest  writers  were 
eligible  to  win  prizes.  Other  writers,  however,  were 
entitled  to  whatever  official  records  they  made.  None 
of  the  Southwest  writers  qualified  on  all  three  dicta- 
tions at  95  per  cent.  Only  two  writers,  Albert  Schneider 
and  W.  B.  Bottome,  qualified  on  all  three  dictations. 
Mr.  Albert  Schneider,  a  writer  of  Gregg  shorthand, 
made  the  highest  average  record  of  97.86.  It  will  be 
seen  from  the  table  above  that  five  writers  made  aver- 
age accuracy  records  of  more  than  95  per  cent,  but  under 
the  rules  of  the  National  Shorthand  Reporters'  Asso- 
ciation all  but  Mr.  Schneider  and  Mr.  Bottome  would 
have  been  disqualified  owing  to  their  failure  to  obtain  at 
least  95  per  cent  accuracy  on  each  individual  dictation. 

Following  is  a  comparison  of  Mr.  Schneider's  and 
Mr.  Bottome's  achievements  in  this  contest : 

260  Speed  200  Speed  180  Speed 

Net       Net  Net  Tot.  Avg. 

Name                       Err.   Speed  Err.    Speed  Err.   Speed  Err.  Acc'y 

Albert  Schneider      40      252.2  19      196.2  13      177.4      72  97.86 

Willard  B.  Bottome  64      247.2  28      194.4  28      174.4    120  96.38 


*  Mr.  Schneider  was  but  nineteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  this  contest. 


42 


SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 


THE  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP  CONTESTS 

There  have  been  five  shorthand  championship  con- 
tests held  in  Great  Britain. 

The  first  was  held  at  the  Olympia  Business  Show, 
London,  July,  1907.  The  following  data  regarding  the 
contest  is  taken  from  Pitman's  Journal  of  July  20,  1907. 

Thirteen  contestants  actually  took  part.  Among 
these  were  Mr.  S.  H.  Godfrey  (220  certificate),  Mr.  G.  E. 
Hall  (210  certificate),  Mr.  W.  F.  Smart  (200  certificate), 
Mr.  R.  J.  Garwood  (200  certifi- 
cate), and  Mr.  Ebenezer 
Howard.  Five-minute  dicta- 
tions were  given  at  180,  200 
and  220  words  a  minute.  The 
time  allowed  for  transcribing 
was  two  hours  if  typed  and  two 
and  a  half  hours  if  pen- written. 

"After  one  or  two  prelim- 
inary trials  the  actual  test 
commenced,  apparently  to  the 
surprise  of  some  of  the  con- 
testants, with  the  highest 
speed  test  of  220  words  a 
minute.  The  candidates  were  allowed  to  choose  which- 
ever piece  of  matter  they  desired.  All  selected  the  200- 
words-a-minute  matter.  Eleven  handed  in  transcripts; 
two  withdrew." 

No  particulars  are  given  as  to  the  number  of  errors 
or  other  details  of  the  test  except  that  the  prizes  were 
awarded  as  follows : 

First  prize  to  Mr.  S.  H.  Godfrey. 

Second  prize  to  Mr.  Herbert  Byers. 

Third  prize  to  Mr.  G.  E.  Hall. 

Fourth  prize  to  Mr.  R.  J.  Garwood. 


R .  J.  Garwood,  Winner  of  the 

British  Championship, 

1909, 1910,  1912 


1908  CONTEST  43 

1908  CONTEST,  LONDON,  MARCH  3 

There  were  eleven  contestants,  but  beyond  saying 
that  the  first  place  was  won  by  Mr.  Godfrey,  second 
place  by  Mr.  Garwood,  third  place  by  Mr.  Jackson, 
and  fourth  place  by  Mr.  Dickinson,  no  particulars  were 
given  in  the  report  in  Pitman's  Journal.  It  was  stated 
elsewhere  that  Mr.  Godfrey  was  awarded  the  first  prize 
for  writing  at  a  rate  of  202  words  a  minute  on  the  220- 
words-a-minute  test.  Presumably,  therefore,  he  made 
90  errors  in  transcribing. 

1909  CONTEST,  LONDON,  OCTOBER  16 

In  the  1909  contest  only  four  writers  qualified,  with 
the  following  results: 

Net  Net  Per  Cent 

Name  Rate         Errors        Words  Speed  Accuracy 

R.  J.  Garwood  220  117  983  196  89.3 

Herbert  Byers  200  51  949  190  94.9 

W.  F.  Smart  220  187  913  182  83 

R.  D.  Shedlock  180  23  877  175  97.4 

Under  the  American  rules  for  rating  transcripts, 
requiring  95  per  cent,  or  higher,  accuracy,  all  of  the 
foregoing,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Shedlock,  would 
have  been  disqualified. 

1910  CONTEST,  LONDON,  OCTOBER  15 

The  contest  in  1910  narrowed  down  to  three  who 
were  able  to  complete  it,  as  follows : 


Net 

Net 

Per  Cent 

Name 

Rate 

Errors 

Words 

Speed 

Accuracy 

R.  J.  Garwood 

200 

12 

988 

197 

98.8 

S.  H.  Godfrey 
James  McDonald 

200 
200 

23 
36 

977 
964 

195 
192 

97.7 
96.4 

44          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

An  English  shorthand  magazine  stated  that  by  actual 
count  the  number  of  words  dictated  was  only  947. 
Assuming  this  to  be  correct,  the  figures  given  hi  the 
f oregoing  would  therefore  have  to  be  revised  as  follows : 


Words 

Net 

Net 

Per  Cent 

Name 

Dictated 

Errors 

Words 

Speed 

Accuracy 

R.  J.  Garwood 

947 

12 

935 

187 

98.7 

S.  H.  Godfrey 
James  McDonald 

947 
947 

23 
36 

924 
911 

185 
182 

97.5 
96.1 

1912  CONTEST,  LONDON,  JUNE  1 

There  was  no  contest  in  1911.  Again  hi  1912  only 
three  candidates  finished  the  contest,  as  follows : 

Net  Net        Per  Cent 

Name  Rate         Errors        Words        Speed      Accuracy 

R.J.  Garwood  200  19  981  196  98.1 

W.  McDougall  200  40  960  192  96 

W.  F.  Smart  200  113  887  177  88.7 

It  was  stated  that  only  987  words  were  dictated. 
The  foregoing  figures  should  therefore  be  revised  as 
follows : 

Words  Net  Net        Per  Cent 

Name  Dictated     Errors        Words        Speed      Accuracy 

R.  J.  Garwood  987  19  968  193  98 

W.  McDougall  987  40  947  189  95.9 

W.  F.  Smart  987  113  874  174  88.5 

"The  matter  used  in  the  1912  contest,"  according  to 
an  article  by  one  of  the  judges  in  Commercial  Education 
for  June  18,  1912,  "was  taken  from  a  speech  by  Henry 
George  on  land  values,  and  was  perhaps  rather  in  the 
candidates'  favor  as  compared  with  the  1910  contest." 


1912  CONTEST  45 

Pitman's  Journal,  in  reporting  the  contest,  said  that  it 
"presented  comparatively  few  unusual  words  and 
phrases."  An  examination  of  the  matter  shows  that 
it  was  extraordinarily  simple,  abounding  in  mono- 
syllables and  containing  a  great  deal  of  repetition  of 
common  words  and  common  phrases.  It  could  hardly 
be  surpassed  as  a  selection  on  which  to  make  a  favorable 
record.  By  actual  analysis  the  syllable  intensity  was 
133  syllables  for  each  100  words  for  the  entire  dictation 
— that  is  to  say>  an  average  of  H  syllables  for  each 
word!  One  would  have  to  search  for  a  long  while  to 
find  1,000  words  of  ordinary  matter  equal  to  this  in 
simplicity. 

In  "A  Few  Comments  by  One  of  the  Judges,"  ap- 
pearing in  Pitman's  Journal  for  June  29,  1912,  it  is 
stated  that  "there  is  a  real  danger  of  the  various  con- 
tests degenerating  into  mere  struggles  between  a  hand- 
ful of  contest  experts — a  result  which  would  defeat  the 
main  object  with  which  they  are  instituted."  The 
writer  adds:  "It  was  not  a  difficult  passage  upon 
which  Mr.  Garwood's  third  year's  success  was  won." 

No  contest  has  been  held  for  the  British  champion- 
ship since  1912.  In  all  the  British  championship  con- 
tests the  tests  consisted  of  speeches  or  straight  literary 
matter. 


COMPARISON  OF  BRITISH  AND 
AMERICAN  RECORDS 

The  contest  achievements  on  straight  literary  matter 
of  the  American  writers  do  not  vary  greatly  from  those 
of  their  British  cousins.  A  comparison  of  these  will 
be  of  interest : 


46          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

BEST  BRITISH  CONTEST  RECORDS 

(British  Championship) 


Words 

Net 

Accu- 

Inten- 

Name 

Year 

Diet. 

Errors 

Speed 

racy 

sity* 

S.  H.  Godfrey 

1908 

1100 

90 

202 

91.81 

1.45 

R.  J.  Garwood 

1909 

1100 

117 

196.6 

89.36 

1.42 

R.  J.  Garwood 

1912 

987 

19 

193.6 

98.07 

1.44 

Herbert  Byers 

1909 

1000 

51 

189.8 

94.9 

1.44 

R.  J.  Garwood 

1910 

947 

12 

187 

98.73 

1.44 

S.  H.  Godfrey 

1910 

947 

23 

184.8 

97.57 

1.44 

W.  F.  Smart 

1909 

1100 

187 

182.6 

83 

1.42 

James  McDonald 

1910 

947 

36 

182.2 

96.20 

1.44 

R.  D.  Shedlock 

1909 

900 

23 

175.4 

97.44 

1.40 

W.  F.  Smart 

1912 

987 

113 

174.8 

88.55 

1.44 

W.  McDougaU 

1912 

987 

113 

174.8 

88.55 

1.44 

Note:  Under  the  American  contest  rules  an  accuracy  percentage  of 
95  or  better  is  required  to  qualify.  Mr.  Garwood  is  the  only  writer  in 
the  British  championship  contests  to  qualify  with  this  degree  of  accu- 
racy at  a  speed  beyond  190  words  a  minute — 1912  British  Champion- 
ship Contest,  193  words  a  minute,  with  98  per  cent  accuracy. 

BEST  AMERICAN   CONTEST  RECORDS 

N.  S.  R.  A.  Championship — 200  Straight  Literary  Matter 


Years' 

Diet. 

Net 

Per 

cent 

In- 
ten- 

Name 

System 

Year  Exp.  Speed  Errors 

Speed  Acc'y 

sity* 

Nathan  Behrin 

I.  Pitman 

1913 

9 

200 

8 

198.4 

99.2 

1.45 

Albert  Schneider 
J.  D.  Carson 

Gregg 
"Success" 

1921 
1914 

5 

8 

200.6 
200 

12 
11 

198.2 
197.8 

98.8 
98.9 

1.58 
1.53 

Jerome  Victory 
Clyde  Marshall 
J.  F.  Daly 
Earl  Pendell 

Osgoodby 
"Success" 
I.  Pitman 
"Success" 

1919 
1911 
1920 
1914 

10 
16 
6? 
10? 

200 
200.4 
200.4 
200 

15 
18 
26 
25 

197 
196.8 
195.2 
195 

98.5 
98.2 
97.4 
97.5 

1.42 
1.37 
1.54 
1.53 

Paula  Werning 
J.  B.  Faulkner 

Gregg 
"Success" 

1913 
1919 

4 
19 

200 
200 

27 
28 

194.6 
194.4 

97.3 
97.2 

1.45 
1.42 

Fred  H.  Gurtler 
W.  B.  Bottome 

Gregg 
Graham 

1919 
1920 

15 
20 

200 
200.4 

34 
39 

193.2 
192.6 

96.6 
96.1 

1.42 
1.54 

Charles  L.  Swem 
Nellie  Wood 

Gregg 
I.  Pitman 

1911 
1914 

3 
23 

200.4 
200 

40 

49 

192.4 
190.2 

96 
95.1 

1.37 
1.53 

Note:  Some  of  these  writers  have  qualified  more  than  once.  In 
such  cases  we  have  given  the  best  record  made.  Four  Gregg  writers 
have  qualified,  four  "Success,"  three  I.  Pitman,  one  Graham,  one 
Osgoodby.  It  will  be  noted  that  Mr.  Schneider  has  the  honor  of  hav- 
ing qualified  on  the  200  matter  of  the  highest  syllable  intensity  dictated 
in  any  contest — 1.58. 

*  Indicates  the  syllable  intensity  or  average  syllables  to  the  word  in  the  matter 
dictated. 


DUBIOUS  RECORDS  47 

DUBIOUS   RECORDS  IN   SHORTHAND 

Claims  of  extraordinary  records  of  speed  have  been 
associated  with  the  writing  of  shorthand  almost  since 
the  art  came  into  general  use.  Many  of  these  claims  in 
the  early  history  of  modern  shorthand  went  unchal- 
lenged because  of  ignorance  about  what  the  expert 
writer  could  actually  do.  It  is  rather  strange  at  this 
late  date,  however,  since  the  speed  contests  of  the 
National  Shorthand  Reporters'  Association  have  been 
inaugurated,  to  find  occasional  attempts  to  create 
questionable  records. 

THE  ALLEGED  "  300-WORD-A-MINUTE 
RECORD" 

The  most  glaring  of  these  speed  claims  was  the 
alleged  record  of  Herman  J.  Stich,  made  at  a  meeting 
of  the  Isaac  Pitman  Shorthand  Writers'  Association  in 
New  York  City,  January  19,  1919.  Mr.  Stich  was 
credited  with  writing  300  words  a  minute  for  five 
minutes,  with  an  accuracy  of  99.9  per  cent. 

A  paper  read  at  the  1919  meeting  of  the  National 
Shorthand  Reporters'  Association  by  Mr.  William  F. 
Smart,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Ethics  (and 
who  is  a  writer  of  Isaac  Pitman  shorthand),  gave  a 
compact  statement  of  the  facts  in  connection  with  the 
alleged  record.  Mr.  Smart  said: 

Recently  the  shorthand  world  was  startled  by  the  announce- 
ment in  certain  interested  journals  of  a  new  record  in  shorthand 
and  a  new  "champion"  at  300  words  a  minute.  Reverting  to 
the  alleged  300-word-a-minute  record — at  first  sight  this  seems 
to  be  the  case  of  Trotzky  out-trotted,  Dr.  Cook  out-cooked, 
and  Bob  Tailor  out-stitched. 

The  man  who  read  the  test  matter  to  the  "champion,"  Mr. 
Van  Gelder,  his  friend,  who  is  now  a  reporter  in  the  District 
Claims  Board  of  the  War  Department,  and  this  has  been  con- 
firmed in  other  directions,  told  me  on  June  3  as  follows: 


48          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

1.  Over  50  Q's  and  A's  per  minute  were  inserted  in  the  test 
matter.   These  Q's  and  A's  were  not  even  read  or  written  by  the 
"champion."    The  matter  was  extremely  easy  testimony  and 
"such  as  could  be  written  at  that  speed." 

2.  Only  the  writers  of  one  shorthand  system  were  allowed  to 
enter. 

3.  The  contest  was  not  advertised  as  "the  shorthand  cham- 
pionship of  the  world,"  but  as  a  contest  for  boys  at  school. 

4.  There  were  no  other  competitors  allowed  to  be  present. 
Competitors  of  other  systems  of  shorthand  had  their  applica- 
tions returned,  and  when  they  presented  themselves  for  ex- 
amination were  not  allowed  to  take  it. 

5 .  There  was  no  newspaper  reporter  present .    This  "record " 
and  its  story  were  telephoned  by  the  "champion's"  wife  to  the 
newspapers.    It  was  no  public  exhibition  and  past  champions 
were  not  invited  to  enter. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  how  anyone  can  be  a 
"champion"  when  he  has  no  opponent  and  how  300  words  a 
minute  can  be  written  when  not  more  than  250  words  a  minute 
were  dictated. 

This  "advertising  record"  is  boosted  by  certain  interested 
journals  as  made  by  the  "Champion  Shorthand  Writer  of  the 
World."  "Record  300  words  a  minute  for  five  consecutive 
minutes  with  99.9  percentage  of  accuracy."  "Shorthand 
Record  Five  Words  a  Second."  "World's  Champion  High 
Speed  Shorthand  Writer  and  International  Authority  on  the 
Subject." 

Mr.  Smart's  expose  of  the  "record"  thoroughly  dis- 
credited it.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  English  edition 
of  Pitman's  Journal  gave  an  account  of  the  contest  and 
stated:  " In  the  meantime,  it  should  be  noted  that  the 
contest  was  open  to  all."  Mr.  Stich's  "record"  was 
used  extensively  in  the  advertising  of  the  publishers  of 
Isaac  Pitman  Shorthand. 

TWO-MINUTE  RECORDS 

During  the  luncheon  intermission  of  the  New  York 
State  Shorthand  Reporters'  Association,  December, 
1919,  a  two-minute  speed  contest  was  staged  by  a 
number  of  New  York  reporters  merely  as  a  "sporting 
proposition,"  as  it  was  termed,  for  those  who  wished 


TWO-MINUTE  RECORDS  49 

to  enter  it,  which  bordered  closely  on  the  type  of  "con- 
test" just  described.  The  dictation  was  of  the  type 
of  "Q's"  and  "  A's"  counted  but  not  read.  The  dictation 
was  for  two  minutes  only.  Enough  said!  Nevertheless, 
the  publishers  of  Isaac  Pitman  Shorthand  immediately 
"told  the  world"  through  the  medium  of  advertising 
that  a  new  world  record  of  322  words  a  minute  had 
been  established,  disregarding  the  fact  that  the  dicta- 
tion was,  if  timed  correctly,  about  fifty  words  a  minute 
less  than  that,  and  also  the  fact  that  a  "record"  of  422 
words  a  minute  had  been  claimed  by  a  well-known 
shorthand  writer  26  years  previously! 

HANDICAP  CONTEST,  1920 

This  contest  was  held  under  precisely  the  same  cir- 
cumstances as  the  two-minute  contest  just  described. 
It  differed  from  the  preceding  one  in  that  the  length 
of  the  "dictation"  was  increased  to  five  minutes  and 
that  each  contestant,  except  Mr.  Behrin,  was  conceded 
a  handicap  based  on  his  best  National  Shorthand 
Reporters'  Association  speed  contest  record. 

The  280  test  was  dictated  by  four  readers,  the  whole 
proceedings  being  as  closely  as  possible  a  duplicate  of  a 
scene  in  court.  The  questions  and  answers  were  not  read, 
but  were  counted  in  the  total.  Mr.  Behrin's  record  on  the 
"  280-word-a-minute "  dictation  in  this  contest  was 
advertised  by  the  publishers  of  the  system  he  uses  as 
"world's  record,"  regardless  of  the  fact  that  the  matter 
was  actually  dictated  at  247  words  a  minute!  The 
technique  of  the  contest  was  not  well  organized.  The 
results  cannot  be  justly  compared  with  those  in  the 
contests  of  the  National  Shorthand  Reporters'  Associa- 
tion. The  figures  as  presented  by  Mr.  Henry  Sanders 


50          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

in  the  Stenographer  and  Phonographic  World  for  Febru- 
ary, 1921,  are  given  for  what  they  are  worth: 

240  Diet.  280  Diet. 

1.  Nathan  Behrin  239.8  279.4 

2.  Neale  Ransom  238.8  277.9 

3.  W.  B.  Bottome  238.8  274.3 

The  number  of  errors  was  not  stated. 

As  will  be  seen  from  the  statement  above  that  the 
questions  and  answers  were  omitted  in  the  reading  but 
counted,  a  revision  of  the  figures  on  the  "280"  testi- 
mony test  shows  the  following  results: 

280  Diet. 
Actual  Speed 

1.  Nathan  Behrin  246.4 

2.  Neale  Ransom  240.4 

3.  W.  B.  Bottome  235.8 

The  best  records  of  these  writers  in  the  contests  of 
the  National  Shorthand  Reporters'  Association  on  these 
two  kinds  of  matter  are  as  follows: 

240  280 

Net  Net 

Err.          Speed  Err.  Speed 

Nathan  Behrin       14            237.2  17  278 

Neale  Ransom       21            236.4  56  269.8 

W.  B.  Bottome      26            234.8  57  269 

VARIATION   IN  SYLLABLE  INTENSITY 

OF  MATERIAL  USED  IN  VARIOUS 

CHAMPIONSHIP  CONTESTS 

The  variation  in  the  syllable  intensity  of  the  matter 
dictated  in  the  various  championship  and  certificate 
tests  of  the  National  Shorthand  Reporters'  Association 
as  well  as  in  others  shows  some  striking  features.  For 
the  purpose  of  making  the  discussion  clear,  it  will  be 
well  to  make  some  preliminary  statements  with  regard 
to  syllable  intensity. 


VARIATION  IN  INTENSITY  51 

Literally,  syllable  intensity  is  the  average  number  of 
syllables  per  word  in  a  given  piece  of  matter.  The 
theory  with  respect  to  it  is  that  a  low  syllable  intensity 
denotes  easy  matter,  while  high  syllable  intensity 
indicates  matter  of  greater  difficulty.  In  other  words, 
it  is  thought  that  as  syllable  intensity — that  is,  the 
number  of  syllables  to  the  word — increases,  a  corres- 
ponding increase  in  difficulty  of  writing  is  encoun- 
tered. This  is  not  strictly  scientific,  but  there  is  a 
relationship  between  the  two  that  makes  the  method 
fairly  accurate  in  judging  results.  If  each  syllable  in 
a  word  was  represented  by  a  stroke  of  equal  ease 
or  difficulty  in  execution,  syllable  intensity  would 
be  a  scientific  basis  for  comparing  results.  Since 
the  shorthand  representation  of  different  syllables 
varies  in  ease  or  difficulty,  this  must  be  taken  into 
consideration. 

In  a  paper  on  "The  Essential  Elements  of  Shorthand 
Speed,"  read  by  George  Farrell  at  the  1916  meeting  of 
theN.Y.  S.  S.  A.,  he  says: 

"The  vocabulary  of  the  pulpit  and  platform  differs 
from  that  of  the  witness  stand  principally  in  that 

"(a)  There  is  a  smaller  number  of  stock  phrases. 

"  (6)  A  larger  number  of  qualifying  words  and  phrases 
interposed  between  words  that  would  otherwise  form 
parts  of  stock  phrases,  and 

"(c)  A  much  larger  number  of  names  of  things. 

"It  is  because  of  these  differences  between  the  two 
vocabularies,  namely,  that  of  the  witness  stand  on  the 
one  hand  and  of  the  pulpit  and  platform  on  the  other, 
that  none  of  us,  no  matter  what  his  ability  otherwise 
may  be,  is  able  to  report  from  "straight  matter"  at 
anywhere  near  the  same  rate  of  speed  that  we  can  and 
do  report  testimony." 


52 


SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 


GRAPH  SHOWING  VARIATIONS  IN  SYLLABLE  INTENSITY 
OF  STRAIGHT  LITERARY  MATTER 


N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTESTS 


150  words 
a  minute 


175  words 
a  minute 


200  words 
a  minute 


215  words 
a  minute 


—  r*w*^O—        «J  O  —  <N  «•>  >»  »  O  — 

—  —  —  *-  —  >M  <•<        O  —  —  —  —  —  —  »!«•« 

«y>o*o>o>o>o>o> 


1.60 


1.50 


1.40 


1.30 


SYLLABLE  INTENSITY 


53 


SYLLABLE  INTENSITY,  LITERARY  MATTER 

N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTESTS 


150  W.  P.  M. 

1920 1.32 

1921 1.38 

1911. 
1914. 
1913. 
1910. 
1909. 
1919. 
1912. 


.1.42 
.1.45 
.1.49 
.1.50 
.1.57 
.1.63 
.1.65 


Average,  1.49 
Median,  1.49 


175  W.  P.  M. 

1910 1.30 

1913 1.30 

1909. 
1921. 
1920. 
1911. 
1914. 
1912. 
1919. 


.1.37 
.1.37 
.1.40 
.1.43 
.1.43 
.1.47 
.1.64 


Average,  1.41 
Median,  1.40 


200  W.  P.  M. 

1911 1.37 

1912. 
1919. 
1913. 
1910. 
1914. 
1920. 
1921. 


1.41 
1.42 
1.45 
1.47 
1.53 
1.54 
1.58 


Average,  1.46 
Median,  1.45 


215  W.  P.  M. 

1921 1.35 

1920 1.44 

1919..    ..1.54 


Average,  1.44 
Median,  1.44 


SYLLABLE  INTENSITY,  JURY  CHARGE  AND  TESTIMONY 

N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTESTS 


Jury  Charge 
240  W.  P.  M. 


1912. 
1921. 
1919. 
1911. 
1920. 
1910. 
1913. 


.1.40 
.1.40 
.1.43 
.1.46 
.1.46 
.1.48 
.1.53 


Average,  1.45 
Median,  1.46 


Testimony 

280  W.  P.M. 

(without 

Q's  and  A's) 

1912 1.12 

1913. 
1919. 
1911. 
1910. 
1914. 
1920. 
1921. 
1909. 


1.19 
1.20 
1.22 
1.23 
1.29 
1.30 
1.30 
1.37 


Average,  1.24 
Median,  1.23 


Testimony 
280  W.  P.  M. 

(with 
Q's  and  A's) 

1912 1.26 

1913. 
1919. 
1911. 
1910. 
1920. 
1914. 
1921. 
1909. 


1.28 
1.28 
1.29 
1.30 
1.35 
1.37 
1.45 
1.45 


Average,  1.33 
Median,  1.30 


64 


SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 


GRAPH  SHOWING  FLUCTUATIONS  IN  SYLLABLE  INTEN- 
SITY ON  JURY  CHARGE  AND  TESTIMONY 

N.  S.  R,  A.  CONTESTS 


Jury  Charge  at  240 
words  a  minute 

—  —  .—  _.—  _  rg  M 

o-ooo-o-o-o>o- 


Testimony  at  280 
words  a  minute 


1.50 


1.40 


1.30 


1.20 


1.10 


Note:  In  the  testimony  graph  the  upper  line  represents  the  syllable 
intensity  with  questions  and  answers,  and  the  lower  line  represents  the 
syllable  intensity  without  questions  and  answers. 


Q's  AND  A's  IN  TESTIMONY  55 

GRAPH  AND  TABLE  SHOWING  FLUCTUATION  IN  THE 
NUMBER  OF  Q's  AND  A's  IN  TESTIMONY 


N.  S.  R.  A.  CONTESTS 


«•  o  — 
:'«'» 


Number  of  Q's  and  A'san  Testimony 
280  W.  P.  M. 


1912  

114 

1911  

128 

1910  

....130 

1920  

130 

1913  

151 

1919  

155 

1914  

162 

1909  

165 

1921  .  . 

..180 

Average,  144 
Median,  151 


.iTTnlTTTtl 


Note:  The  figures  at  the  right  indicate  the  number  of  Q's  and  A's 
in  the  five-minute  dictation. 


56          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

As  applied  to  what  is  termed  straight  literary  matter, 
syllable  intensity  is  'about  as  accurate  a  method  of 
comparing  the  difficulty  of  matter  as  could  be  devised. 
In  both  jury  charge  and  testimony,  reporters  have 
devised  special  phrase  forms  for  the  frequently  recurring 
phrases  and  these  naturally  can  be  written  more 
rapidly.  Any  kind  of  matter  is  affected  in  some  degree 
by  the  frequency  of  the  phrases  and  wordsigns.  That 
is,  if  the  matter — no  matter  what  the  syllable  intensity 
is — contains  a  large  number  of  easily  written  word- 
signs  or  phrases,  it  unquestionably  will  be  easier  to 
write  than  another  piece  of  matter  which  has  a  lower 
syllable  intensity  but  presents  fewer  opportunities 
for  the  abbreviation  of  either  wordsigns  or  phrases. 
However,  on  the  whole,  the  syllable  intensity  basis  of 
determining  ease  or  difficulty  of  matter  is  fairly  accurate 
— and  decidedly  more  accurate  than  the  "words- 
per-minute  "  basis. 

As  an  illustration  of  how  the  intensity  of  matter 
affects  the  situation,  an  analysis  of  the  matter  used  in 
the  200-words-a-minute  dictation  in  the  contests  of  the 
National  Shorthand  Reporters'  Association  shows  that 
it  varies  from  1.37  in  1911  to  1.58  in  1921.  Taking  the 
number  of  entries  in  the  various  contests  in  relation  to 
the  number  qualifying,  the  largest  proportion  of  suc- 
cesses has  nearly  always  been  found  to  correspond  with 
a  low  syllable  intensity.  In  1921,  when  the  intensity 
was  the  highest  (1.58)  and  the  number  of  contestants 
was  the  largest,  only  two  qualified — Mr.  Schneider 
with  12  errors  and  Mr.  Daly  with  30. 

Based  on  the  lowest  intensity  matter  given  in  any  of 
the  contests  (1.37),  the  1921  matter  was  the  equivalent 
of  230  words  a  minute.  Taking  the  median  of  the 
200-word  dictations  (1.45)  as  a  basis,  the  1921  matter 


SYLLABLE  INTENSITY  57 

was  equal  to  218  words  a  minute.  This  analysis  of  the 
matter  shows  all  the  more  strikingly  the  splendid  work 
Mr.  Schneider  did  on  that  "take" — to  say  nothing  of 
his  records  on  the  other  tests.  Ten  writers  qualified 
in  one  or  more  of  the  championship  dictations  in  the 
1921  contest.  Among  these  were  Mrs.  Nellie  Wood 
Freeman,  former  champion;  Mr.  Victory,  champion  of 
1919;  Mr.  Bottome,  champion  of  1909;  Mr.  Ransom; 
all  of  whom  qualified  at  higher  speeds  than  200  straight 
literary  matter.  The  fact  that  they  were  unable  to 
qualify  on  this  particular  piece  of  matter  is  a  further 
indication  of  the  difficulty  involved  in  recording  straight 
literary  matter  of  high  syllable  intensity. 

The  difficulties  encountered  on  account  of  intensity 
seem  to  apply  in  some  degree  to  the  higher  speed  of 
jury  charge,  though  of  course  this  is  affected  largely 
by  the  character  of  the  jury  charge — whether  or  not 
it  contains  a  large  number  of  phrases.  As  an  example, 
in  the  1921  contest,  the  matter  had  the  lowest  intensity 
of  any  year  except  1912,  when  it  was  exactly  the  same — 
1.40.  All  ten  of  the  contestants  in  the  1921  contest 
who  qualified  in  any  "take"  qualified  in  this. 

It  is  difficult  to  draw  any  definite  conclusions  from 
the  testimony  in  any  year,  as  so  many  factors  enter 
into  the  situation,  but,  in  a  general  way,  the  matter  in 
1921  appears  to  be  more  difficult  than  that  of  any  other 
year  except  1909.  There  are  two  reasons  for  this  con- 
clusion. First,  the  syllable  intensity  was  the  highest; 
and,  second,  the  number  of  contestants  qualifying 
was  the  smallest  in  proportion  to  the  number  entering. 

When  it  is  remembered  that  two  former  champions 
did  not  qualify  on  the  testimony  in  the  last  contest, 
further  strength  is  given  to  the  theory  that  the  matter 
was  more  difficult.  Only  three  writers  turned  in  qual- 


58         SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

ifying  transcripts — Mr.  Schneider,  Mr.  Daly,  and  Mr. 
Ransom. 

In  analyzing  the  intensity  for  jury  charge,  an  odd 
situation  is  shown  in  the  fact  that  the  median,  as  well  as 
the  average,  is  higher  than  it  is  for  straight  literary 
matter — the  former  being  1.46  and  the  latter  1.45. 
How  do  we  account  for  the  greater  speed  that  can  be 
attained  on  jury  charge  in  comparison  with  straight 
literary  matter?  Simply  this:  The  syllable  intensity 
of  the  jury  charge  runs  high  on  account  of  the  large 
number  of  long  words  employed,  many  of  these  in 
recurrent  phrases,  such  as,  "If  you  believe  from  the 
evidence  that  the  defendant,"  "contributory  negli- 
gence," "render  a  fair  and  impartial  verdict,"  "my 
recollection  of  the  testimony,"  and  so  on,  for  which 
the  reporter  has  special,  brief  outlines. 

In  order  to  judge  the  real  speed,  intensity  of  matter 
must  be  known.  In  view  of  this  difficulty  of  the 
matter,  Mr.  Schneider's  remarkable  work  in  the  1921 
contest  is  an  outstanding  feature  of  the  whole  series  of 
contests.  He  won  the  championship  by  making  the 
highest  average  that  year  on  the  three  championship 
dictations.  He  transcribed  the  five  highest  speed 
dictations— 175,  200,  215,  240,  280  words  a  minute- 
in  the  time  allotted  for  three.  On  two  of  these  he 
broke  all  previous  records.  The  youngest  writer  to 
win  the  contest,  he  had  had  but  about  one-half  the 
experience  of  any  previous  champion  at  the  time  of 
winning.  And  he  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  won 
the  championship  in  a  contest  when  the  matter,  on 
the  whole,  was  the  most  difficult  given  in  any  contest. 


PART  TWO 


TEST  MATERIAL  DICTATED  IN 
THE  WORLD  CHAMPIONSHIP 
CONTESTS  OF  THE  NATIONAL 
SHORTHAND  REPORTERS'  ASSO- 
CIATION, AND  IN  THE  BRITISH 
CHAMPIONSHIPS 


METHOD    OF    DICTATING    AT    VARIOUS 
SPEEDS 

The  table  below  shows  the  approximate  rate  of  speed 
of  dictation  in  words  a  minute  when  a  quarter-minute 
"block"  is  dictated  in  the  time  indicated  in  the 
column  headings: 

Indicated  One  (<  block  "  in 

Contest  1  40  SO  20 

Rate  Minute  Seconds    Seconds  Seconds 

150  38  57  75  113 

170  43  64  85  123 

175  44  66  88  131 

180  45  68  90  135 

190  48  72  95  143 

200  50  75  100  150 

210  53  79  105  158 

215  54  81  108  161 

220  55  83  110  165 

240  60  90  120  180 

280  70  105  140  210 

As  an  example,  if  each  " block"  in  the  150  matter  is 
dictated  in  thirty  seconds,  the  speed  will  be  seventy- 
five  words  a  minute;  if  dictated  in  twenty  seconds, 
113  words  a  minute;  if  dictated  in  fifteen  seconds, 
150  words  a  minute. 

It  should  be  kept  in  mind  that  all  dictations  are 
blocked  off  in  quarter-minute  sections  at  the  speed 
stated  for  the  particular  test. 


60 


1909  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Lake  George) 

150  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

JURY  CHARGE 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.57 

The  undue  influence  which  will  vitiate  the  will  must 
be  such  as  operates  upon  the  mind  of  a  testator  at  the 
time  he  executes  the  will  and  thus  controls  and  induces 
him  to  make  the  will  in  j  the  manner  in  which  he  does 
by  reason  of  that  influence.  It  must  be  such  influence 
as  affects  the  free  agency  of  the  testator  and  impels 
him  to  yield  his  choice  to  the  person  exerting  the 
influence.  Acts  1  of  kindness,  disparaging  statements 
of  one  who  is  the  natural  object  of  the  testator's  affec- 
tion and  bounty,  in  general,  will  not  constitute  undue 
influence;  but  if  these  operate  on  the  mind  of  the 
testator  at  the  time  I  of  making  the  will  so  as  to  place 
him  under  any  restraint  and  control  the  terms  of  the 
will,  they  may  amount  to  undue  influence.  It  is  not 
necessary  •  that  the  undue  influence  be  exerted  by  a 
beneficiary  j]1  under  the  will;  neither  is  it  essential 
that  the  undue  influence  be  exerted  at  the  time  of  the 
execution  of  the  will ;  but  the  undue  influence  that  will 
vitiate  a  will  may  be  the  sum  total  of  j  the  effect  of 
words  spoken  and  acts  done  at  or  prior  to  the  time  of 
executing  the  will;  but  the  effect  of  the  acts  must 
operate  upon  the  mind  of  the  testator  in  the  act  of 

61 


62          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

making  his  \  will  and  restrain  his  free  agency  at  that 
very  time;  otherwise  the  influence  does  not  affect  or 
void  the  will. 

As  stated,  a  person  of  full  age,  sound  mind  and 
memory,  and  not  under  any  restraint,  may  ]  dispose  of 
his  property  or  parts  thereof  by  will,  executed  accord- 
ing to  law,  provided  his  disposition  does  not  violate 
any  law.  The  testator  has  a  right  to  decide  the  terms 
of  his  will.  He  has  a  right  to  j]2  select  the  persons  to 
whom  he  gives  his  property.  He  determines  the 
portion  he  devises  or  bequeaths  to  each.  He  judges 
the  fairness,  justness  or  quality  of  his  disposition  by 
will.  As  its  provisions  affect  others  no  \  one  may  ques- 
tion his  right  so  to  do  or  challenge  his  will,  if  made 
according  to  law  and  its  provisions  do  not  violate  the 
law.  The  .contents  of  the  will,  the  effect  and  conse- 
quences of  his  provisions  upon  J  the  persons  whom  the 
testator  would  naturally  bestow  his  affections  and  his 
estate,  as  apparent  from  the  evidence  submitted,  may 
be  considered  in  connection  with  all  the  evidence  in 
determining  whether  the  testator  did  possess  testa- 
mentary capacity  \  or  was  under  restraint  at  the  time 
of  making  the  will  when  he  did  make  it. 

Declarations  of  the  testator  made  at  or  after  making 
a  will  in  respect  to  his  children  and  in  respect  to  his 
purpose  I]3  and  intention  as  to  making  a  will  and  the 
disposition  of  his  property  may  be  considered  as  bear- 
ing on  the  testator's  capacity  and  undue  influence. 
Old  age,  mental  or  physical  weakness,  will  not  alone 
invalidate  a  will,  I  unless  such  state  or  conditions 
render  the  operation  of  testator's  mental  faculties  unre- 
liable and  deprive  him  of  testamentary  capacity  as 
defined  to  you.  But  old  age,  mental  or  physical  weak- 
ness, disease,  or  either,  if  existing  at  the  time  [  of  mak- 


1909  CONTEST  63 

ing  a  will,  may  be  considered  in  determining  testa- 
mentary capacity  and  undue  influence.  If  old  age 
and  physical  weakness  alone  or  in  conjunction  with 
other  causes  render  the  operation  of  testator's  mental 
faculties  unreliable  and  render  \  him  incapable  of  com- 
prehending the  provisions  of  his  will  and  the  effect 
thereof,  or  render  him  so  susceptible  to  undue  influence 
operating  on  his  mind  at  the  time  of  making  the  will 
that  he  acts  under  restraint  in  \\4  making  his  will,  then 
such  will  would  be  invalid. 

Much  evidence  has  been  submitted  bearing  upon  the 
issue  between  the  parties.  The  door  to  the  history  of 
the  life  and  death  of  John  Smith,  deceased,  has  been  \ 
left  ajar.  You  have  been  given  glimpses  therein. 
Evidence  has  been  introduced  tending  to  prove  his 
age,  his  marriage,  his  domestic  life,  his  pleasures,  his 
sorrows,  his  traits  of  character,  his  virtues  and  his 
frailties,  his  business  enterprises  ]  and  successes;  the 
extent  and  value  of  his  estate,  the  names  of  his  chil- 
dren, their  possessions  and  necessities,  his  conduct 
toward  them  and  theirs  toward  him  and  each  other, 
his  advancements  to  them,  his  health  and  infirmities,  \ 
his  strength  and  his  weaknesses,  his  sufferings,  the 
opinions  of  physicians  and  of  acquaintances  as  to  his 
mental  states  and  faculties;  all  these  and  more  have 
been  submitted  for  your  consideration.  It  is  your 
duty  to  digest  these  [[5  matters  of  evidence  .  .  . 
(750  words) 


1909  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Lake  George) 

175  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.37 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

I  am  sorry  to  have  been  late.  I  would  rather  talk 
to  you  than  to  be  cheered,  so  let  me  occupy  the  time 
and  cheer  after  I  am  gone,  unless  the  desire  for  cheer- 
ing is  entirely  exterminated  by  my  speech.  }  I  have 
but  half  an  hour  in  which  to  speak;  I  understand  that 
you  like  to  ask  questions,  and  so  instead  of  giving  the 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  that  I  would  have,  I  am  going 
to  take  the  half  an  hour  in  speaking  \  and  then  give 
you  fifteen  minutes  to  ask  questions,  if  you  like.  I  am 
always  glad  to  have  questions  asked,  and  although 
when  one  submits  to  questions,  he  allows  the  few  who 
ask  the  questions  to  determine  the  character  of  his 
speech  instead  of  {  determining  it  himself,  yet  I  am 
perfectly  willing  to  indulge  that,  because  questioning 
is  an  important  part  of  the  lawyer's  business.  I  appre- 
ciate the  opportunity  of  speaking  to  you;  I  talk  to 
students  whenever  I  can;  I  am  glad  to  do  so;  because 
the  U1  student  is  at  that  age  of  life  when  the  mind  is 
inquiring.  When  you  talk  to  a  student  body,  you  are 
talking  to  people  in  the  springtime,  when  seed  can  be 
planted  with  prospect  of  a  harvest,  and  when  you  talk 
to  students  \  you  talk  to  those  who  will  multiply  a 

64 


1909   CONTEST  65 

hundred  or  a  thousand  fold  any  good  impression  that 
you  may  leave  upon  them;  and  in  the  very  short  time 
that  I  have  to  speak  to  you,  I  want  to  speak  upon  two 
subjects,  and  in  |  doing  so  I  violate  one  of  the  rules  of 
public  speaking,  a  rule — and  I  think  there  is  force  in 
it — which  is  to  have  one  theme,  to  talk  about  one 
thing  and  stop  when  you  have  presented  one  thought 
— some  have  often  stopped  j  without  presenting  even 
one  thought.  It  is  quite  important  that  there  should 
be  one,  and  on  this  occasion  I  am  going  to  try  to  present 
two,  because  it  has  been,  I  think,  now  forty-eight 
years  that  I  have  been  trying  to  get  to  II2  you  and  I 
don't  know  how  long  it  may  be  before  I  can  come 
again.  I  am  going  to  improve  the  opportunity.  First, 
as  to  public  speaking.  Sometimes  I  get  a  letter  from  a 
young  man  who  says  he  is  a  born  orator  f  and  who 
asks  what  such  a  one  should  do  to  prepare  himself  for 
his  work.  I  generally  answer  that  while  it  is  necessary 
for  an  orator  to  be  born,  that  is  the  simplest  part  of  his 
equipment.  If  I  want  to  find  out  whether  j  a  young 
man  is  going  to  make  a  good  speaker,  I  do  not  inquire 
whether  his  mother  spoke  well  or  whether  his  father 
spoke  a  great  deal,  or  vice  versa;  it  is  not  a  matter  of 
inheritance.  There  are  two  essentials  in  public  speak- 
ing, j  two  things  that  you  cannot  be  without;  first, 
you  must  know  what  you  are  talking  about  and  second, 
you  must  mean  what  you  say.  Information  and 
earnestness  are  the  two  things  absolutely  necessary, 
for  a  person  cannot  give  information  unless  he  has  it 
himself,  jj3  and  he  cannot  make  others  feel  unless  he 
himself  feels  deeply  upon  his  subject.  All  eloquence  is 
addressed  from  the  heart  of  him  who  speaks  to  the 
hearts  of  those  who  hear.  When  I  was  in  school,  some- 
one described  the  difference  between  Demosthenes  I 


66          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

and  Cicero,  and  the  description  was  this :  When  Cicero 
speaks  people  say,  "How  well  Cicero  speaks,"  when 
Demosthenes  speaks  they  say,  "Let  us  go  against 
Phillip,"  the  difference  being  that  one  impressed  him- 
self upon  the  audience,  while  the  other  impressed  his 
subject.  The  object  [  of  speaking,  if  it  is  argumenta- 
tive, is  to  persuade,  and  when  you  are  through  making 
a  speech,  if  those  who  have  listened  gather  in  groups 
and  discuss  what  you  have  said,  some  affirming  it  to  be 
true,  others  denying  it,  you  may  feel  sure  ]  that  you 
have  made  an  impression,  and  it  is  more  of  a  compli- 
ment to  you  to  have  people  discussing  what  you  said 
than  merely  saying,  "What  a  fine  speaker  he  is."  The 
first  essentials,  I  say,  are  earnestness,  or  information 
and  earnestness,  and  you  []4  can  add  to  these  other 
things  that  improve  one's  speech;  for  instance,  clearness 
of  statement  is  a  very  important  thing.  The  Declara- 
tion of  Independence  says  there  are  certain  self-evident 
truths.  If  I  were  amending  that  statement,  I  would 
say  that  all  truth  {  is  self-evident,  and  the  best  service 
you  can  render  truth  is  to  state  it  so  plainly  that  it 
can  be  understood,  for  when  a  truth  can  be  understood 
it  needs  no  argument.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  any 
truth  can  be  \  stated  so  plainly  that  no  one  will  dispute 
it.  I  think  it  was  Lord  Macaulay  who  said  that  elo- 
quent and  learned  men  would  be  found  to  dispute 
the  law  of  gravitation  if  any  money  was  to  be  made 
by  it,  and  so  men  will  ]  dispute  any  proposition,  how- 
ever plain,  if  they  have  a  pecuniary  advantage  to  gain 
by  so  doing;  but,  my  friends,  truth  can  be  so  plainly 
stated  that  it  will  not  be  disputed  unless  one  has  a 
special  interest  in  disputing  it,  and  when  you  find  IJ5 
a  man  who  has  a  pecuniary  interest  adverse  to  a  truth 
.  .  .  (875  words) 


1909  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Lake  George) 

200  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

JURY  CHARGE 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.39 

Gentlemen  of  the  Jury: 

This  is  a  case  of  some  importance.  In  it  arise  an 
unusual  number  of  questions  of  fact,  and  it  will  require 
the  utmost  of  your  good  judgment  and  your  care  and 
attention  to  determine  those  questions  of  fact  accu- 
rately in  order  that  justice  may  be  done  J  between  the 
parties.  Those  are  questions  which  are  exclusively  for 
you  to  decide.  While  you  will  get  your  instructions 
with  respect  to  the  law  entirely  from  the  Court,  and 
you  need  give  no  consideration  to  what  counsel  have 
said  to  you  about  questions  of  law,  the  matters  of  fact 
are  j  peculiarly  and  exclusively  your  province. 

The  suit  is  brought  to  recover  damages  for  personal 
injuries  which  it  is  alleged  on  the  part  of  the  plaintiff 
were  caused  by  negligence  on  the  part  of  the  employees 
of  the  defendant  company. 

It  appears  that  on  the  sixteenth  of  December, 
eighteen  hundred  and  J  ninety-nine,  the  plaintiff  in 
this  case,  a  young  man  in  his  twenty-second  year,  was 
a  passenger  on  the  car  of  the  defendant  company  going 
southward  on  Sixth  street.  Just  prior  to  the  time  of 

the  accident  he  was  standing  on  the  front  platform  on 

67 


68 

the  east  side  of  jj1  the  car  leaning  against  the  brass 
railing,  and,  as  he  says,  with  his  hands  upon  it.  At 
Johnson  avenue,  where  the  tracks  of  a  railroad  run  and 
where  the  track  of  the  defendant  crosses  that  railroad, 
or  a  short  distance  below  Johnson  avenue,  he  either 
fell  or  was  thrown  or  j  pushed  off  the  car ;  he  fell  upon 
the  street;  his  leg  came  across  the  track,  and  the  wheel 
running  against  it  so  injured  the  leg  that  later  it  re- 
quired two  amputations. 

Now,  it  is  contended  for  the  plaintiff  that  this  acci- 
dent was  due  to  negligence.  Negligence  is  a  want  of  I 
due  and  proper  care;  such  care  as  a  man  of  ordinary 
judgment  and  prudence  would  exercise  under  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case.  It  is  to  be  measured  by  those 
circumstances. 

The  plaintiff  tells  you  that  the  accident  occurred  in 
this  way :  He  says  that  as  the  car  approached  Johnson 
avenue  j  it  slowed  up,  the  conductor  got  off  of  the  car 
on  the  west  side,  ran  ahead  across  the  tracks  on  John- 
son avenue,  signaled  to  the  car  to  come  along,  that  the 
car  then  crossed  the  tracks  on  Johnson  avenue  and 
that  then  the  conductor  jumped  on  to  the  front  step 
II2  on  the  west  side;  that  at  this  time  there  were  six 
or  seven  people  standing  upon  the  front  platform; 
that  the  conductor  in  jumping  on  to  the  step  pushed 
against  this  set  of  people  arid  that  thus  he,  who  was 
on  the  other  side  of  the  platform,  on  the  east  \  side, 
was  jammed  or  crushed  off  into  the  street.  Now,  while 
men  are  beings  who  can  think  and  act  for  themselves 
individually  and  may  have  their  individual  movements 
they  are  also  creatures  made  up  of  flesh  and  bone  and 
they  are  just  as  capable  of  transmitting  momentum 
as  are  \  wood  and  any  other  solid  body,  and  supposing 
the  accident  to  have  occurred  in  the  way  in  which  the 


1909   CONTEST  69 

plaintiff  describes,  it  will  be  for  you  to  say  whether  it 
was  the  exercise  of  due  and  proper  care  for  the  con- 
ductor, knowing  of  the  presence  of  these  people  upon 
the  i  front  platform,  to  so  push  against  them  that  a 
possible  passenger  on  the  other  side  might  be  pushed 
off  into  the  street. 

There  is  one  witness  who  to  some  extent  corroborates 
the  plaintiff  in  his  statement  about  the  conduct  of  the 
conductor.  A  man  named  Johnson,  who  was  coming 
up  jj3  Sixth  street  on  the  east  side  below  Johnson 
avenue,  testifies  to  you  that  he  saw  the  conductor  get 
on  to  the  front  platform. 

The  plaintiff  has  also  testified  that  the  car  did  not 
stop  on  the  north  side  of  Johnson  avenue,  and  that  as 
it  went  across  Johnson  avenue  and  j  down  the  slope 
on  the  other  side  it  was  going  at  a  pretty  lively  rate. 
He  describes  it  as  nearly  at  a  full  rate,  and  he  says  that 
the  car  as  it  crossed  the  tracks  and  down  to  the  slope 
was  swaying  to  and  fro.  Mr.  Smith  testified  that  the  \ 
car  went  across  the  track  very  fast  and  he  describes 
it  as  jumping  up  and  down,  and  Mr.  Johnson  testifies 
that  when  he  saw  the  car  it  was  jolting. 

Now,  there  is  a  further  question  for  you  to  determine, 
assuming  the  truth  of  this  evidence  as  to  the  manner 
in  |  which  the  car  was  going,  and  taking  into  consider- 
ation the  situation  and  the  circumstances.  There  is 
evidence  that  this  car  was  full  of  passengers.  There  is 
further  evidence  that  there  were  passengers  upon  the 
rear  platform  and  passengers  upon  the  front  platform. 
There  is  some  evidence  that  the  plaintiff  at  jj4  the  time 
was  either  sick  or  in  a  drunken  condition.  You  will 
have  to  determine  whether,  in  view  of  these  facts  and 
in  view  of  the  further  fact  that  after  the  car  crossed 
Johnson  avenue  it  approached  a  downward  slope,  it 


70 

was  the  exercise  of  due  and  proper  care  to  [  run  that 
car  in  the  way  in  which  the  plaintiff  and  his  witnesses 
say  it  was  being  run. 

If  you  should  determine  these  questions  or  either  of 
them  in  such  a  way  as  to  find  that  there  was  negligence 
in  the  manner  in  which  the  car  was  managed  or  in  \ 
the  conduct  of  the  conductor,  and  should  further  find 
that  there  was  no  contributory  negligence  upon  the 
part  of  the  plaintiff,  then  your  duty  would  be  to  find 
a  verdict  for  the  plaintiff. 

In  case  you  do  find  these  questions  in  favor  of  the 
plaintiff  you  then  will  be  met  J  with  the  duty  of  deter- 
mining how  much  your  verdict  in  his  favor  shall  be, 
and  you  are  called  upon  to  ascertain  the  damages. 
What  the  law  looks  to  is  compensation  for  pecuniary 
loss  which  the  plaintiff  has  suffered,  and  it  looks  to 
compensation  alone.  .  .  .  jj5  (Six  words  short  =994 
words) 


1909  N.  S.  R.'A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Lake  George) 

207  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

JURY  CHARGE 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.42 

Gentlemen  of  the  Jury: 

You  are  the  sole  judges  of  the  questions  of  fact 
involved  in  this  case.  You  are  not  to  be  influenced  by 
anything  that  the  court  has  said,  or  that  you  imagined 
that  the  court  has  thought  in  regard  to  the  facts.  It 
is  the  privilege  and  duty  {  of  the  court  to  call  the  jury's 
attention  to  questions  of  fact,  if  he  so  desires;  but, 
in  the  end,  you  must  be  your  own  judges  as  to  what  the 
facts  are,  under  the  instructions  of  the  court  as  to  the 
law.  The  law  you  will  take  from  the  court  and  from  j 
nobody  else. 

The  first  proposition  I  want  to  impress  upon  your 
minds,  gentlemen,  in  this  case  is:  that  you  must  not  be 
influenced  by  prejudice,  or  passion,  or  sympathy.  That 
is  a  vital  question,  a  most  vital  question  for  a  jury  in 
a  case  of  this  character.  You  have  seen  this  man's 
1  leg;  you  know  his  injuries.  But  you  must  not  con- 
sider those  injuries  at  all  or  the  question  of  damages, 
if  any,  until  you  have  considered  two  or  three  vital 
propositions  in  the  case. 

It  is  right  for  human  beings  to  be  influenced  by 
kindness,  and  by  sympathy.  But  it  is  not  right  \\ l  for 

71 


72          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

jurors  or  courts.  Nothing  can  be  more  wrongful. 
You  must  hold  the  scales  of  justice  here  fairly,  impar- 
tially and  blindly,  and  consider  the  law  and  the  facts 
— nothing  else.  You  have  a  right  to  sympathize  and 
give  your  own  money  to  this  plaintiff,  if  you  want  to; 
but  you  have  \  no  right  to  give  anybody  else's  money 
except  under  the  law.  That  is  a  vital  proposition; 
more  vital,  I  think,  in  the  trial  of  lawsuits  than  in  any 
other  question.  The  jury  should  do  its  duty,  regardless 
of  what  is  involved  and  what  the  injuries  are.  Courts 
are  influenced  by  prejudice  and  \  passion,  and  influenced 
wrongly.  But  it  is  the  duty  of  the  court  as  well  as  the 
jury  to  withstand  prejudice,  passion  and  sympathy. 

So,  then,  I  want  you  to  start  out  in  this  case  with 
that  understanding:  that  you  are  to  be  cool,  clear 
headed,  cold  blooded  in  passing  upon  the  questions  { 
of  fact  that  I  shall  present  to  you. 

The  declaration  in  this  case  states  that  the  plaintiff 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  defendant,  which  was  a  cor- 
poration engaged  in  business,  as  shown  here  by  the 
evidence;  and  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  defendants 
—there  are  two  of  them — to  \\*  use  reasonable  care 
and  diligence  to  keep  and  maintain  said  steps  which 
have  been  heretofore  described,  or  stairway,  in  a  reason- 
ably safe  condition  of  repair,  so  that  the  said  plaintiff 
might  perform  all  duties  and  labors  required  of  him 
safely.  And  the  plaintiff  avers  that  the  said  defend- 
ants, disregarding  their  duty  {  in  that  behalf,  carelessly, 
wrongfully,  and  negligently  allowed  said  steps  or  stair- 
way to  become  and  remain  in  a  loose,  tottering,  decayed, 
unsafe  and  dangerous  condition,  so  that  whilst  said 
plaintiff  was  undertaking,  in  the  exercise  of  due  care 
to  go  upon  or  over  said  steps  in  passing  to  his  said 
duties  there,  \  and  was  then  and  there  conveying  a 


1909  CONTEST  73 

ladle  of  molten  metal  thereupon,  said  steps  did  then 
and  there  tip  or  turn,  with  the  said  plaintiff;  and  as  a 
result  of  their  dangerous  and  unsafe  condition  as  afore- 
said, by  reason  thereof,  the  said  plaintiff  was  then  and 
there  injured  and  damaged  in  a  \  certain  amount, 

One  vital  element  of  that  declaration,  contained  in 
every  count,  I  want  to  call  your  attention  to,  where  it 
describes  the  steps ;  what  the  steps  were,  and  what  the 
steps  did.  The  plaintiff  does  not  charge,  and  you  can- 
not try  the  question,  as  to  whether  those  steps  originally 
were  sufficient,  Ij3  or  not.  They  admit  that  proposi- 
tion. But  they  charge  that  they  were  loose;  that  they 
became  and  remained  in  a  loose,  tottering,  decayed, 
unsafe  and  dangerous  condition;  and  that  as  a  result 
of  that  condition  they  tipped  and  turned  with  the  said 
plaintiff,  and  threw  him  off.  Now,  they  must  prove  { 
that;  and  the  proof  of  anything  else  won't  help  the 
plaintiff.  The  plaintiff  must  prove  that  they  were  in  a 
tottering  condition;  decayed  condition;  unsafe  and 
dangerous  condition;  and  as  a  result  of  that,  that  they 
tipped,  and  turned  the  plaintiff  over.  Now,  that  is 
their  charge,  and  that  they  must  prove  {  by  the  pre- 
ponderance of  the  evidence. 

Defendants  deny  that,  and  every  other  proposition 
in  the  three  or  four  counts  in  the  declaration. 

The  burden  of  proof  is  upon  the  plaintiff  to  prove 
every  allegation  in  the  declaration,  by  the  prepon- 
derance of  the  evidence;  the  greater  weight  of  the 
evidence. 

Now  it  is  |  the  duty  of  the  defendants  to  use  due 
care  and  caution,  to  furnish  a  reasonably  safe  place 
for  its  employees  to  work;  and  to  use  due  care  and 
caution  to  furnish  reasonably  safe  appliances  for  them 
to  work  with.  In  this  case  it  was  the  duty  of  the  defend- 


74          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

ants  to  use  due  \\*  care  and  caution  to  furnish  these 
steps  (which  are  admitted  in  the  beginning  to  have 
been  reasonably  safe)  and  to  use  due  care  and  caution 
to  keep  those  steps  in  a  reasonably  safe  condition. 
That  is,  to  do  as  reasonably  prudent  men  would  do 
under  the  same  circumstances  and  conditions  in  j 
order  to  keep  them  safe — the  same  as  you  would  do 
if  you  were  in  that  business  or  any  man  would  do,  if 
he  were  in  that  business. 

Employers  are  not  insurers;  they  simply  do  the 
best  they  can.  The  law  requires  them  to  do  that,  as 
reasonably  prudent  men. 

The  plaintiff  \  and  other  employees  assume  the 
ordinary  risks  of  their  business;  the  ordinary  dangers, 
that  they  must  know,  and  they  must  see.  But  it  is 
incumbent  upon  the  plaintiff  to  use  reasonable  care  and 
caution  to  avoid  injury.  The  burden  is  on  the  defend- 
ant, however,  to  prove  that  he  did  not  use  such  J  reason- 
able care  and  caution. 

Now,  the  first  proposition  is  that  the  plaintiff  must 
prove  by  the  preponderance  of  the  evidence  that  these 
steps  in  question  had  become  in  a  bad  condition;  so 
bad  that  when  plaintiff  went  in  there  they  tipped  and 
turned  him  off.  Now  then,  on  passing  upon  that 
proposition  ]]5  you  must  consider  all  the  evidence  in 
the  case.  (1035  words) 


1909  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Lake  George) 

280  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

TESTIMONY 
Syllable  Intensity: 

With  Q's  and  A's  1.45 

Without  Q's  and  A's       1.37 
Number  of  Q's  and  A's  165 

The  examination  was  resumed  by  Mr.  Rosenthal  as 
follows : 

Q.  Mr.  Knight,  how  old  a  man  are  you?    A.  Thirty. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  lived  in  Cairo?  A.  All  my 
life. 

Q.  You  succeeded  your  father  in  business,  did  you 
say?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  are  now  the  proprietor  of  the  business? 
A.  One  of  them. 

Q.  Is  it  a  corporation?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  have  [  no  prejudices  then  against  corpora- 
tions? A.  I  have  not. 

Q.  Doing  business?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Have  you  any  prejudice  against  the  Standard  Oil 
Company  of  Indiana?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anybody  connected  with  the  case 
on  either  side?  A.  I  don't. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  know  that  you  were  going  to 
be  a  juror  in  this  case?  A.  Last  Thursday  morning. 

Q.  Do  you  know  {  anything  about  this  case  except- 

75 


76          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

ing  what  you  have  heard  here  in  the  court  room?  A. 
Do  I  know  anything  about  it?  I  did  read  a  little  about 
it. 

Q.  Where?    In  what  papers?    A.  In  the  Tribune. 

Q.  When?    A.  The  last  trial. 

Q.  During  the  last  trial?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  read  it  every  day  as  it  came  out?  A.  I 
did  not,  no,  sir. 

Q.  Did  I  you  attempt  to  follow  the  evidence  at  all? 
A.  No,  sir,  I  did  not. 

Q.  Were  you  interested  enough  in  it  to  try  to  follow 
it  closely?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  come  in  contact  with  freight  matters  a 
good  deal  yourself  in  the  conduct  of  your  business? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  buy  your  merchandise  mainly  in  Chicago? 
A.  Chicago  and  New  York. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  now  \\l  anything  about  the 
details  of  the  evidence  in  the  other  trial  at  all?  A.  No, 
sir,  I  don't. 

Q.  Nothing  that  made  any  lasting  impression  on 
your  mind?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  been  a  juror  before?  A.  I  have 
in  the  county  I  live  in. 

Q.  This  is  the  first  time  in  the  Federal  court?  A. 
Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anyone  connected  with  the  district 
]  attorney's  office  here?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Or  the  marshal's  office?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  are  not  in  politics?    A.  I  am  not. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  been  a  juror  in  a  criminal  case? 
A.  No,  sir,  I  don't  think  I  have. 

Q.  The  law  in  a  criminal  case  is,  Mr.  Knight,  that 
you  start  in  the  trial  of  the  case  against  the  defendant, 


1909   CONTEST  77 

presuming  that  defendant  to  be  [  innocent  of  the  charge 
in  the  indictment.  Can  you  do  that  in  this  case? 
A.  I  didn't  understand  the  question. 

Q.  I  say  the  law  in  a  criminal  case  is  that  the  jurors 
start  in  the  trial  of  a  case  presuming  the  defendant  to 
be  innocent.  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  understand  that?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Can  you  do  that  in  this  case?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Without  the  slightest  \  difficulty?    A.  I  can. 

Q.  You  will  start  out  in  the  trial  of  this  case  pre- 
suming the  Standard  Oil  Company  of  Indiana  to  be 
innocent  of  this  charge  until  the  government  establishes 
its  guilt,  if  at  all,  by  proof  beyond  a  reasonable  doubt? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Can  you  do  that?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Freely?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Without  any  effort  at  all?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  IJ2  believe  in  that,  do  you?  A.  Yes,  sir, 
I  do. 

Q.  Now,  1  understand  that  you  haven't  an  opinion 
upon  any  phase  of  this  case  at  all?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  No  opinion  about  the  merits  of  it?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  About  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  the  defendant? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Is  that  right?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Can  you  treat  the  defendant,  the  Standard  Oil 
Company,  |  in  this  case  just  exactly  the  same  as  though 
it  were  an  individual  that  were  here  on  trial?  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  Without  any  difficulty?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  The  fact  that  it  is  a  corporation  or  a  large  cor- 
poration or  a  rich  corporation,  will  that  influence  you 
in  any  way  at  all?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Not  in  the  slightest  degree?    A.  No,  sir. 


78          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  What  do  you  say  [  about  it,  Mr.  Dixon?  A.  What 
is  that  question? 

Q.  As  to  whether  the  fact  that  this  defendant  is  a 
corporation,  and  a  large  one  if  you  please,  will  make  the 
slightest  difference  to  you  in  determining  the  issues  in 
this  case?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  It  will  not?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Not  a  bit?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  say  that  without  any  hesitation?  A. 
Yes,  sir.  ] 

Q.  Have  you  any  clear  recollection  of  the  facts  of 
this  case,  as  you  may  have  read  them  heretofore? 
A.  No,  I  did  not  follow  the  evidence  at  all  in  the  papers. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  been  a  juror  before?  A.  Not  in 
a  Federal  court. 

Q.  Where?    A.  I  was  a  juror  once  in  our  own  courts. 

Q.  How  long  ago?  A.  Oh,  it  was  a  good  many 
years  \\3  ago. 

Q.  How  many  men  do  you  have  under  you  as  fore- 
man of  the  company  you  work  for?  A.  Well,  I  have 
not  got  very  many  just  at  present.  Eight  or  ten  now. 
I  have  had  as  high  as  thirty  or  thirty-five. 

Q.  You  have  been  a  deputy  sheriff  there  in  your 
county?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  When  were  you  deputy  sheriff?  A.  Up  to  about 
two  years  ago.  j 

Q.  And  then  after  that  you  went  into  the  grocery 
business?  A.  No,  previous  to  that  I  went  in  the  gro- 
cery business. 

Q.  Previous  to  that?  A.  Yes,  sir,  I  was  in  the  gro- 
cery business  up  to  1888,  or  1898  I  should  say — 1898. 

Q.  Do  you  mean  1888  up  to  1898?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Then  you  became  a  j  deputy  sheriff?     A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  much  have  you  read  about  this  case?     A. 


1909  CONTEST  79 

Well,  I  have  not  read  a  great  deal  about  it.  I  glanced 
over  the  paper  and  that  was  about  all. 

Q.  What  papers  did  you  read?  A.  We  read  our  own 
local  papers  and  then  the  Chicago  Tribune.  I  gen- 
erally read  the  Tribune  at  home. 

Q.  Did  you  read  the  Tribune  this  morning?  A.  No, 
I  sir;  I  have  not  seen  the  Tribune  at  all. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anybody  on  the  other  side  of  the 
table  here?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Nobody  connected  with  the  district  attorney's 
office?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Or  the  marshal's  office?    A.  No,  sir,  I  don't. 

Q.  What?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  have,  as  I  understand  it,  no  opinion  about 
anything  connected  with  this  case — any  of  the  facts 
II4  of  the  case?  Am  I  right  about  that,  or  have  you? 
A.  No,  I  haven't  any  opinion  in  regard  to  the  facts, 
for  I  don't  know  the  facts  myself.  I  don't  know  what 
the  facts  are.  I  paid  very  little  attention  to  the  case 
at  the  time. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  the  Standard  Oil  Company 
of  Indiana  is  charged  with  doing  here?  A.  Only  what 
I  have  heard. 

Q.  |  Mr.  Black,  you  live  at  Mount  Carroll?  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  You  stated  that  at  present  you  were  out  of  busi- 
ness? A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Are  you  engaged  in  any  occupation  or  pursuit 
by  which  you  make  or  seek  to  make  a  living?  A.  Not 
at  the  present  time. 

Q.  Have  you  since  you  were  in  the  jewelry  business? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  are  living  on  what  you  have  {  without  any 
sources  of  income?  A.  Yes,  sir. 


80          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  What  papers  do  you  read,  Mr.  Williamson?  A. 
I  don't  read  any  papers  regularly,  although  at  the  pres- 
ent time  I  read  the  Record-Herald  and  the  News. 

Q.  The  last  I  did  not  hear?  A.  The  Daily  News, 
The  Evening  News. 

Q.  That  is  the  Chicago  Daily  News?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Those  are  Chicago  papers?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Are  [  you  accustomed  to  reading  magazines?  A. 
Somewhat. 

Q.  What  magazines  do  you  read?  A.  Review  of 
Reviews,  the  Independent  and  Everybody's. 

Q.  That  is  the  Independent  that  is  printed  at 
Brooklyn?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Now,  in  your  reading  of  the  Chicago  papers 
during  the  last  few  years  have  you  read  a  good  deal 
about  this  case?  ...  II 5  (13  words  short  =  1387 
words) 


1910  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

150  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.50 

Sleep  is  the  daily  experience  of  everyone  who  lives 
on  earth.  So  familiar  and  habitual  is  it,  that  it  hardly 
attracts  our  notice.  Yet  there  could  be  no  stronger 
evidence  of  our  Father's  love  and  care  j  than  that 
which  is  afforded  by  the  taking  of  rest  in  sleep.  Is  it 
not  truly  wonderful,  that  a  third  part  of  our  earthly 
life  is  spent  in  a  state  of  unconsciousness?  Active 
duties  and  pursuits  occupy  us  \  during  each  day,  and 
then  "the  night  cometh,  when  no  man  can  work." 
Our  bodies  are  overcome  by  fatigue,  and  must  rest  or 
perish.  And  not  only  our  bodies,  but  our  minds  also. 
There  must  be  a  j  suspension  of  the  ordinary  current 
of  thought,  a  complete  cessation  of  all  mental  effort. 
So  it  is  ordained  that  we  shall  have  sleep  as  well  as 
bodily  repose.  Finite  things  that  we  are,  we  soon  reach 
the  limit  JJ1  of  our  powers.  There  is  not  one  of  them 
but  stands  in  need  of  periodical  pause  and  refreshment. 
We  lie  down,  and  presently  every  muscle  is  relaxed. 
The  eyelids  spontaneously  close  themselves;  and  the 
darkness  and  silence  \  of  the  night  hours  hang  like  a 
curtain  between  us  and  the  busy  world.  Thus  we  are 
shut  off  from  all  that  naturally  stirs  us  to  mental 

81 


82          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

activity,  and  soon  we  cease  to  think  or  even  to  know  [ 
that  we  exist.  Like  the  dew  from  heaven,  sleep  gently 
and  imperceptibly  descends  upon  us. 

During  the  time  that  we  are  wrapped  in  slumber  we 
are  absolutely  helpless.  No  infant  on  his  mother's 
breast  is  more  destitute  \  of  the  means  of  protection 
than  is  every  man  when  he  sleeps.  There  is  no  kind 
of  danger  which  may  not  approach  him  unawares. 
Violent  hands  may  be  laid  upon  him;  he  may  be 
stripped  of  his  earthly  ||2  goods,  or  surrounded  by 
devouring  flames,  without  the  slightest  knowledge  of  his 
peril.  Many  a  human  being  has  passed  from  sleep  into 
the  other  life  ignorant  that  any  change  has  taken  place. 
It  is  furthermore  to  be  \  remembered  that,  during  our 
sleeping  hours,  the  usual  means  of  defense  are  wanting, 
not  to  our  bodies  only,  but  to  our  souls  also.  If  evil 
spirits  should  draw  near  with  their  sinful  allurements, 
we  have  not  the  power  {  to  resist  them.  Our  inert 
condition  would  indeed  keep  us  from  the  commission 
of  overt  evil  actions,  but  there  would  seem  to  be  no 
limit  to  the  degree  in  which  the  mind  might  be  poisoned 
by  the  [  insinuation  of  evil  thoughts  and  desires.  How 
can  we  doubt  that  we  are  spiritually,  as  well  as  natu- 
rally, protected  during  the  night  watches,  and  that  on 
deeper  grounds  than  those  of  strong  bolts  and  bars, 
or  a  vigilant  \\3  police,  we  have  cause  for  thankfulness 
every  morning?  All  power  is  the  Lord's.  All  love  and 
goodness  are  His  likewise.  From  Him  proceed  alike 
the  strength  of  the  human  arm,  and  the  tender  solici- 
tude which  expresses  itself  \  in  human  care  and  watch- 
fulness. Howsoever,  therefore,  we  are  defended— 
whether  externally  or  internally,  by  men's  precautions 
or  angels'  guardianship — the  Lord  alone,  in  the  strict- 
est sense,  is  our  Defender;  and  the  only  true  utterance 


1910  CONTEST  83 

which  can  go  j  forth  from  our  lips,  when  we  rise  from 
slumber,  is  that  of  the  text:  "I  awaked;  for  Jehovah 
sustained  me." 

And  what  a  wonderful  awakening  it  is  that  comes 
to  us  with  each  dawning  day!  After  a  j  long  night's 
sleep,  we  feel  a  new  vigor  of  mind  and  body,  responsive 
to  the  freshness  of  the  morning.  Yesterday's  weari- 
ness has  vanished.  Not  only  are  we  physically  stronger 
for  the  work  which  lies  before  us,  but  obstacles  jj4 
and  discouragements  of  every  kind  have  miraculously 
disappeared.  Nothing  seems  impossible  to  our  renewed 
strength.  So  we  briskly  and  happily  apply  ourselves 
to  the  day's  duties. 

With  these  preliminary  observations,  let  us  proceed 
to  consider,  with  greater  {  fullness  of  detail,  the  nature 
and  uses  of  sleep. 

First,  it  is  to  be  noticed  that  during  the  period  of 
slumber  most  of  the  bodily  functions  go  on  undisturbed. 
The  heart  beats,  the  lungs  dilate,  tKe  brain  throbs,  I 
the  digestive  processes  continue  without  interruption. 
Hence  it  appears  that  the  whole  of  the  physical  system 
is  not  asleep.  The  most  important  and  vital  organs 
are  as  wide  awake  and  hard  at  work  as  ever.  No 
natural  \  functions  are  suspended,  except  the  external 
voluntary  actions.  All  that  takes  place  in  man's  body 
independently  of  his  knowledge  and  volition  proceeds, 
it  is  affirmed,  with  even  greater  regularity  and  efficiency 
in  sleep  than  in  wakefulness.  The  mention  j]5  .  .  . 
(760  words) 


1910  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

175  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.30 

In  meditating  upon  what,  in  my  weakness,  I  might 
say  that  would  be  of  the  utmost  use  to  you  on  this 
occasion,  I  have  often  run  over  the  long  list  of  theo- 
logical subjects,  and  wondered  if  I  should  preach  on 
the  coming  of  \  Christ,  or  the  divinity  of  Christ,  the 
Resurrection  from  the  dead,  the  necessity  of  belief, 
on  salvation  through  Christ,  of  some  Bible  truth,  and 
I  have  become  more  and  more  convinced  that  many  of 
you  understand  some  of  these  things  and  have  medi- 
tated upon  j  them  as  much  as  I  have.  For  me  to  go 
over  that  long  list  of  truths,  as  important  as  they  are 
to  you,  would  now  be  a  waste  of  time.  You  would  be 
no  better  off  when  you  went  home  than  you  are  now  \ 
or  than  you  were  when  you  came  to  church,  and  the 
church  service  would  be  a  wasted  service.  A  service 
is  a  wasted  service  that  does  not  see  us  nearer  the 
kingdom  when  it  is  through  than  we  were  at  the  begin- 
ning. Consequently,  every  {j1  part  of  it,  from  the  invo- 
cation to  the  amens  of  the  hymns,  should  be  done  with 
that  ultimate  end  in  view — that  our  hearts  may  be 
clearer  and  cleaner,  our  thoughts  clearer  and  sweeter, 

84 


1910  CONTEST  85 

our  lives  better,  and  our  happiness  wider,  our  faith  \ 
more  assured  because  we  have  been  to  church. 

So  I  have  wondered  what  I  could  do.  In  wondering 
what  I  could  do  best  to  make  some  sort  of  return  for 
the  loving  kindness  that  has  characterized  this  people 
through  my  long  illness,  for  the  {  many  presents  that 
have  graced  my  home,  for  the  flowers  that  decorate 
my  windows,  for  the  letters  of  kindness  that  have  come 
by  the  hundreds,  for  the  messages  that  have  come 
indirectly,  and  for  the  fact  that  I  know  so  many  hun- 
dreds, and  even  |  thousands,  have  prayed  for  me  but 
who  have  had  no  direct  communication  with  me  con- 
cerning it,  I  recall  that  some  of  you  have  been  through 
great  sorrow.  You  have  met  with  the  loss  of  dear  ones 
hi  your  family  since  I  have  been  gone,  }J2  and  I  have 
longed  to  be  there  and  say  some  word,  if  I  could,  that 
should  be  of  some  comfort  to  you.  So  I  say  that  my 
responsibility  to  you,  both  for  my  absence  and  your 
kindness  during  my  absence,  leads  me  to  I  be  very 
anxious  to  say  something  especially  helpful  this  morn- 
ing. So  you  will  see,  of  course,  by  the  weakness  of  my 
voice  and  by  my  manner,  that  I  have  not  yet  fully 
recovered,  but  seem  to  be  on  the  high  road  to  it. 

But  J  while  I  speak  to  you,  and  speak  with  faltering 
words  and  poorly  selected  sentences,  from  long  absence 
from  the  pulpit  and  from  weakness  of  body,  I  have 
brought  you  a  very  important  message  this  morning. 
The  difficulty  is  not  that  you  do  not  know  [  the  way  of 
salvation,  or  that  you  do  not  know  of  God,  or  of  Christ, 
or  of  the  Bible,  or  of  the  truths  as  they  are  in  the 
Scriptures — you  do  know  them.  You  have  heard  them 
all  your  lives.  Most  of  you  have  j{3  been  brought  up 
in  the  Sunday  school,  and  here  you  come  to  church 
today  and  expect  to  be  led  beyond  your  present  knowl- 


86          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

edge.  And  you  ought  to  be.  It  is  my  duty  to  do  it. 
I  would  be  unfaithful  to  my  charge  if  |  I  simply  went 
over  what  you  know  and  accept  already.  So  it  is  of 
no  use  to  restate  doctrines,  especially  when  I  bring  a 
text  like  the  one  of  this  morning.  It  is  only  of  use  to 
emphasize  it  in  such  a  way  as  {  to  introduce  a  new 
feature,  that  will  make  it  more  useful  to  you.  Nearly 
all  of  you  would  agree  with  me  that  the  Bible  is  the 
truth  of  God,  that  its  great  influence  upon  the  world 
is  evidence  enough  of  its  power,  and  the  \  fact  that 
the  best  people  in  the  world  have  believed  in  it  is  evi- 
dence enough  of  its  truth,  its  goodness,  and  helpfulness. 
Nearly  all  will  accept  that. 

Now  then,  we  believe  the  statement  in  the  last  chap- 
ter of  Matthew  and  the  last  verse,  wherein  j[4  Christ 
says,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world,"  or,  unto  the  end  of  time.  "Lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway."  That  is  a  platitude.  For  me  to  state 
that  is  a  waste  of  time  unless  there  I  is  something  to 
be  said  to  make  it  of  unusual  interest,  and  it  is  to  that 
point  that  I  address  myself  for  the  few  minutes  that  I 
shall  speak  this  morning.  I  have  not  come  down  from 
my  home  in  my  illness  and  weakness  I  to  deliver  an 
essay  or  an  address.  I  have  come  for  a  purpose.  I 
will  not  come  for  anything  else  but  for  a  godly  purpose, 
a  definite  one.  There  is  something  to  be  done,  and  I 
am  here  to  do  that  this  morning,  in  j  God's  sight,  if  I 
can.  I  have  realized  since  my  illness  the  truth  of  this 
as  I  never  realized  it  before.  When  the  physician  this 
week  was  giving  me  a  great  deal  of  advice  about  over- 
work and  telling  me  to  be  very  careful  about  I  \ 5  doing 
this  thing  and  that  .  .  .  (875  words) 


1910  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

200  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.47 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen  of  Group  Two: 

If  I  have  any  regrets  at  all  at  being  present  with  you 
today  it  is  only  because  someone  who  had  in  charge 
the  preparation  of  your  program  has  lent  a  false  dignity 
to  it  by  defining  what  I  am  to  say  to  you  j  this  afternoon 
as  an  address.  Some  weeks  ago  when  Mr.  Jones  asked 
me  to  appear  before  this  meeting  I  consented  to  do  so 
with  the  understanding  that  I  was  to  talk  entirely 
informally. 

Permit  me,  however,  in  the  first  place,  to  acknowledge 
the  compliment  you  pay  me  in  asking  me  {  to  be  one 
of  the  speakers  at  the  first  meeting  of  your  group,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  disabuse  your  minds  of  any  mis- 
taken idea  that  I  am  to  try  your  patience  or  test  your 
powers  of  endurance  with  a  lengthy  dissertation  upon 
any  scientific  banking  principles.  The  only  {scientific 
banking  principle  that  I  have  ever  felt  myself  compe- 
tent to  discuss  in  any  intelligent  and  understandable 
manner  was  the  scientific  principle  of  getting  some  good 
man  to  take  a  lively,  personal  interest  in  your  bank, 
and  you  in  turn  taking  a  material  interest  from  him 
without  discrediting  the  social  [j1  and  moral  stand- 

87 


88          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

ing  of  the  gentleman  in  the  community  in  which  he 
resided. 

Having  confessed  to  you  that  I  am  familiar  with 
but  one  scientific  banking  principle,  I  think  you  need 
no  further  assurances  from  me  that  my  limited  remarks 
to  you  this  afternoon  are  to  be  along  practical  lines.  \ 
I  say  practical  lines  because  I  purpose  indulging  this 
afternoon  in  a  discussion  of  one  or  two  evils  which  not 
only  threaten  but  do  menace  the  banking  business,  that 
of  overdrafts  and  past  due  paper.  Without  posing 
before  you  as  a  financier  or  a  Christian  Scientist  who 
has  been  successful  \  in  the  employment  of  the  absent 
treatment,  I  intend  to  give  you  this  afternoon,  without 
charge,  the  benefit  of  my  experience  as  a  wet  nurse  to 
overdrafts  and  past  due  paper. 

Those  of  you  who  know  me  at  all  well,  know  that 
for  many  years  I  have  been  a  crank  \  on  this  particular 
subject  and  some  of  my  friends  have  been  so  unkind 
as  to  intimate  that  my  eccentricities  have  extended 
beyond  those  boundaries,  but  I  do  not  propose  at  this 
time  to  engage  in  any  argument  with  them  on  a  matter 
of  such  little  personal  concern  and  of  no  [j2  interest  to 
you  whatever. 

Now  I  am  fully  alive  to  the  fact  that  conditions  which 
are  a  patent  factor  in  the  conduct  of  business — particu- 
larly the  banking  business — are  not  the  same  in  the 
country  that  they  are  in  the  larger  cities;  but  having 
been  a  partner  in  a  country  \  bank  for  more  than  six 
years  and  the  active  spirit  in  a  large  city  bank  for  some 
twenty  odd  years,  I  feel  I  am  competent  to  discuss  the 
question  from  all  sides  without  partiality.  I  am  well 
aware  too  that  in  the  smaller  communities  the  banker 
comes  in  closer  touch  |  with  his  customers  than  do  we 
of  the  larger  cities.  The  country  banker  appreciates 


1910  CONTEST  89 

that  life  holds  for  him  more  than  market  quotations 
index,  and  that  the  warp  and  woof  of  our  national 
fabric  and  commercial  greatness  is  built  of  stouter  stuff 
than  balance  sheets  and  stock  certificates.  He  exerts 
I  a  far  greater  influence  in  proportion  to  the  figures 
represented  than  does  his  brother  banker  of  the  large 
metropolis.  The  country  bank  is  greater  in  its  scope 
and  influence  than  the  difference  in  footings  between  it 
and  a  city  bank  would  indicate ;  but  the  man  who  deals 
in  large  figures  H3  is  quite  essential  too  to  the  general 
financial  and  industrial  scheme,  and  to  attain  the  best 
results  and  to  improve  the  cflnduct  of  our  business  we 
must  be  permitted  to  indulge  ourselves  liberally  in  the 
exchange  of  ideas,  suggestions,  and  remedies;  and  so, 
with  malice  towards  some  and  charity  to  \  a  few,  I 
come  to  you  this  afternoon  to  give  you  a  prescription 
for  the  cure  of  overdrafts  and  past  due  paper. 

I  want  to  qualify  that  statement  a  trifle,  however,  by 
saying  to  you  that  the  prescription  which  I  purpose 
giving  you  is  one  which  will  minimize  the  disease;  \ 
for  overdrafts  and  past  due  paper,  like  the  poor,  will 
be  with  us  always,  and  if  either  the  one  or  the  other  is 
entirely  eliminated  it  will  be  when  you  and  I  are 
wrapped  in  the  dreamless  drapery  of  eternal  sleep. 

My  own  prescription  is  simply  this,  don't  permit  it; 
I  but  the  prescription  must  be  administered  to  the 
patients  in  various  ways  and  in  varying  quantities; 
some  take  it  readily  from  the  spoon  and  with  others 
it  is  necessary  to  inject  it  directly,  and  then  frequently 
without  effect,  and  they  pass  along  to  some  other 
financier  or  banker,  who,  if  U4  he  is  at  all  alive  to  the 
situation,  will  profit  by  the  experience  that  the  patient 
has  received  at  former  hands.  To  illustrate  just  what 
I  am  endeavoring  to  impart  to  you,  I  think  it  would  be 


90          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

well  for  me  to  tell  you  just  how  we  handle  a  new  account 
I  in  our  bank.  Let  me  preface  that  by  saying, 
however,  that  it  is  easier  to  teach  a  new  dog  tricks 
than  an  old  one.  The  customer  who  has  been  with  you 
for  a  great  many  years  and  who  has  been  in  the  habit 
of  overdrawing  his  account  is  a  great  J  deal  more  diffi- 
cult to  handle  than  the  man  who  has  just  commenced 
with  you.  In  the  first  place  no  one  is  permitted  to  open 
an  account  at  our  bank — I  am  not  speaking  of  the 
country  bank  now;  I  am  speaking  of  the  city  bank— 
who  has  not  first  talked  \  to  the  cashier  or  myself,  who 
in  turn  presents  him  to  tlie  receiving  teller.  You  will 
at  once  recognize  the  merit  of  such  a  rule.  It  brings 
the  customer  in  personal  contact  with  the  officer  or 
officers  of  the  bank,  and  that,  as  you  all  know,  counts 
for  very  much.  [J5  (1000  words) 


1910  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

240  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

JURY  CHARGE 

Syllable  Intensity,  1.48 

Gentlemen  of  the  Jury: 

It  now  becomes  the  duty  of  the  court  to  instruct  you 
as  to  the  law  governing  this  case,  and  what  I  shall  say 
to  you  on  that  subject  you  must  be  governed  by.  The 
court  presides  at  the  trial  of  an  action  for  the  purpose 
of,  among  other  things,  determinied  the  law  in  the  case 
and  I  advising  the  jury  as  to  what  the  law  of  the  case 
is  and  also  passing  upon  objections  to  evidence  which 
may  be  offered  in  support  of  the  issues  joined  and  seeing 
that  improper  evidence  is  excluded  from  the  jury's 
consideration  so  that  they  may  readily  see  the  issues 
and  apply  the  evidence  that  is  adduced  in  support  of 
the  issues  [  or  to  contradict  the  issues.  The  jury  are 
the  judges  of  the  facts,  and  with  the  jury  rests  the  deter- 
mination of  what  the  facts  in  issue  are.  It  is  peculiarly 
the  province  of  the  jury  to  determine  from  the  evidence, 
and  the  natural  and  logical  inferences  to  be  drawn  from 
the  evidence,  what  the  facts  involved  in  the  case  are;  [ 
and  by  their  verdict  they  determine  the  facts,  and  with 
their  finding  the  court  has  nothing  to  do,  except,  as  I 
have  heretofore  said,  to  see  that  they  are  properly 
instructed  and  only  consider  proper  evidence.  If  the 
court,  in  making  any  ruling  during  the  trial  of  this  case 

91 


92          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

has  said  anything  from  which  the  jury  infers  that  the 
court  U1  has  any  opinion,  as  to  how  this  case  ought  to 
be  decided,  I  now  charge  you  to  disregard  what  the 
court  said  in  that  behalf.  I  have  no  recollection  of 
having  said  anything  of  that  nature,  but  out  of  an 
abundance  of  caution  I  now  say  to  you  that  it  is  your 
duty  to  exercise  that  independent  judgment  upon  the  [ 
evidence  in  the  light  of  these  instructions  and  by  your 
verdict  determine  what  the  facts  in  issue  are. 

A  fact  is  said  to  be  in  issue  when  it  is  asserted  on  one 
side  and  denied  on  the  other,  and  the  facts  in  issue  are 
to  be  found  in  the  pleadings  in  the  case.  There  is  a 
common  error  which  calls  \  arguments  of  counsel  to  the 
jury  before  the  close  of  the  evidence,  the  pleadings  of 
counsel.  That  is  incorrect.  Those  statements  made  by 
counsel  to  the  jury  in  explanation  of  the  evidence  and 
in  behalf  of  their  respective  contentions  are  the  argu- 
ments of  counsel,  while  the  pleadings  are  the  written 
statements  of  the  parties  to  the  action  filed  in  the  J 
action  before  it  is  submitted  to  the  jury  and  contain 
the  facts  which  each  claims  exist  in  the  case. 

In  this  action  Sable  and  his  younger  brother  Thomas 
are  the  plaintiffs  and  John  William  Glenn  is  the  defend- 
ant, and  the  pleadings  in  this  case  consist  of  the  peti- 
tion, the  answer  thereto,  and  the  amendment  to  the 
answer  and  a  reply  Jj 2  to  the  amendment  to  the  answer. 

Keeping  in  mind  what  I  have  told  you  constituted  an 
issue  of  fact,  namely,  where  a  fact  is  asserted  on  one 
side  and  denied  on  the  other,  that  there  an  issue  is 
said  to  be  joined  which  the  jury  must  determine,  I  now 
say  at  this  point  that  wherever  one  of  the  parties  admits 
I  an  averment  which  the  other  party  makes,  the  jury 
may  take,  for  the  purposes  of  the  action,  the  admission 
to  be  true  and  the  fact  established;  so  that  what  the 


1910  CONTEST  93 

defendant  has  admitted  in  his  answer  to  the  petition 
you  may  take  as  true,  namely,  that  on  the  first  day  of 
May,  he  sold  and  assigned  to  Sable  Brothers  at  \  Pitts- 
burgh for  the  agreed  consideration  set  forth  in  the  con- 
tract in  evidence  here,  the  four  or  five  oil  leases  described 
in  the  petition,  together  with  the  wells,  power  houses, 
tanks,  rods,  tubing,  machinery,  fixtures  and  other 
personal  property  located  thereon.  And  further,  that 
he  was  to  have  all  the  oil  production  from  said  leases 
up  to  June  1st,  last,  and  J  further,  that  the  defendant, 
at  the  time  he  made  said  sale  and  transfer  to  the  plain- 
tiffs knew  that  there  were  only  twenty  such  wells 
located  on  said  premises;  but  all  the  other  statements 
of  the  petition  the  defendant  denies  and  by  his  denial 
casts  the  burden  of  proof  upon  the  plaintiffs;  so  that, 
before  plaintiffs  would  be  entitled  to  recover  jj3  any- 
thing in  this  action,  they  would  have  to  sustain  the 
burden  of  proof  and  make  out  their  case  by  evidence 
to  the  degree  of  certainty  that  I  shall  hereafter  refer  to. 

You  are  the  sole  judges,  gentlemen,  of  the  credibility 
of  the  witnesses.  That  is  to  say,  you  are  to  determine, 
by  the  exercise  of  your  judgment,  how  far  you  \  will 
believe  the  witnesses  in  their  testimony. 

The  evidence  in  this  case  consists  of  the  sworn  testi- 
mony of  witnesses  given  on  the  stand,  as  well  as  the 
depositions  of  witnesses,  parts  of  which  were  read  to 
you,  and  also  some  papers  which  are  called  documen- 
tary evidence  which  were  admitted  for  your  considera- 
tion, and  in  finding  the  issues  in  this  case  |  you  should 
consider  all  of  these  classes  of  evidence  and  compare 
them  and  consider  them  fully,  giving  due  weight  to 
all  the  evidence  and  reaching  a  conclusion  from  the 
evidence;  and,  as  I  said  before,  the  natural  and  logical 
inferences  to  be  drawn  from  the  evidence.  Being  the 


94          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

judges  of  the  credibility  of  the  witnesses,  you  are  at 
liberty  to  j  believe  or  disbelieve  part  or  all  of  the  testi- 
mony of  any  of  the  witnesses.  The  witnesses  were 
under  oath  while  testifying  and  the  presumption  is  that 
they  were  telling  the  truth,  but  you  are  not  required 
by  law  to  give  full  credence  to  everything  that  a 
witness  'may  say  simply  because  he  is  under  oath, 
because  the  witness  may  be  []4  mistaken  or  his  interest 
in  the  result  of  the  controversy  may  incline  him  to 
color  his  testimony,  sometimes  unconsciously,  and  other 
considerations  of  like  character  may  make  it  appear 
proper  to  you  not  to  give  the  full  degree  of  credibility 
that  the  language  of  the  witness  imparts.  The  testi- 
mony of  the  witness  should  be  tested  by  you.  That  is  \ 
to  say,  you  should  consider  the  demeanor  of  the  wit- 
ness while  upon  the  stand,  his  candor  and  fairness  or 
lack  of  it;  his  willingness  or  unwillingness,  the  readi- 
ness with  which  he  testifies,  the  circumstances  to  which 
he  testifies,  the  opportunity  that  he  may  have  had  of 
knowing  that  to  which  he  testified  and  the  extent  of 
the  opportunity  he  may  j  have  had  for  knowing  what 
he  has  testified  to;  his  bias  or  prejudice  for  or  against 
either  party,  if  any  was  shown,  and  his  interest  in  the 
result  of  the  controversy,  if  any,  and  all  such  consider- 
ations as  these  which  may  enable  you  to  determine 
how  far  you  ought  to  accept  the  statements  of  the 
witnesses  in  ascertaining  the  facts  j  that  are  submitted 
for  your  consideration  and  determination. 

Now,  by  burden  of  proof  is  meant  that  the  burden 
of  changing  the  situation  devolves  upon  the  party  who 
must  sustain  the  burden  of  proof;  the  scales  are  sup- 
posed to  stand  equal  and  before  the  situation  which  the 
jury  finds  at  the  outset  can  be  changed,  the  party 
upon  whom  the  burden  .  .  .  jj5  (1200  words) 


1910  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

280  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

TESTIMONY 

Syllable  Intensity: 

With  Q's  and  A's  1.30 

Without  Q's  and  A's       1.23 
Number  of  Q's  and  A's  130 

Q.  Mrs.  Rose,  you  have  stated  to  the  jury  that  you 
do  not  recollect  any  occasion,  when  your  son  was  pres- 
ent, that  the  disappearance  of  Roper  was  spoken  of? 
A.  No,  sir;  I  do  not  remember  any  such  time. 

Q.  You  do  not  recollect  any  occasion  when  he  was 
present  that  that  was  talked  about?  A.  I  do  not. 

Q.  Was  your  son  a  frequent  visitor  at  your  house? 
A.  [  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  the  subject  of  Roper's  disappearance  was 
frequently  talked  over,  there,  was  it  not?  A.  No,  sir, 
it  was  not. 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  that  it  was  ever  talked  over? 
A.  Well,  I  couldn't  say  that  it  was;  it  might  have  been. 

Q.  Never  in  your  presence?  A.  I  couldn't  say  it  ever 
was. 

Q.  When  was  the  last  time  Roper  came  to  your 
house?  A.  The  [  last  time  he  was  there,  do  you  mean? 

Q.  Yes;  I  mean  the  time  he  worked  there  last.  A. 
I  think  that  was  on  Tuesday  the  third. 

Q.  What  day  was  that?    A.  Tuesday. 

95 


96          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  the  time  of  day  he  came  there? 
A.  He  came  early  in  the  morning  I  should  think. 

Q.  About  what  time  in  the  morning?  A.  I  couldn't 
say  just  what  time;  he  \  was  there  to  breakfast. 

Q.  You  think  he  got  there  in  time  for  breakfast? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  I  believe  you  have  testified  that  he  remained  there 
until  the  next  Saturday  night;  is  that  correct?  A. 
Yes,  sir;  that  is  it. 

Q.  And  during  that  whole  period  of  time  he  was 
there  but  one  Sunday?  A.  No,  sir;  only  one  Sunday. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  Roper  came  from  when  jj1 
he  came  there?  A.  No,  sir,  I  do  not. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  him  say  anything  about  where  he 
came  from?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  do  not  know  where  he  worked  for  three 
or  four  days  previous  to  the  time  when  he  came  to 
work  for  your  husband?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  memorandum  of  the  time  he 
came  to  work  for  your  husband,  so  j  that  you  can  fix 
the  date?  A.  No,  I  did  not  set  it  down. 

Q.  The  subject  of  Roper's  disappearance  has  been 
canvassed  a  good  deal  when  you  were  present,  has  it 
not?  A.  Yes,  sir;  it  has  been  talked  about  a  good  deal. 

Q.  And  your  attention  has  been  frequently  directed 
to  those  dates,  has  it  not?  A.  Why,  there  has  been 
but  little  said  to  me  about  it.  \ 

Q.  Well,  your  attention  has  been  called  to  these 
dates  and  their  importance,  isn't  that  so?  A.  Yes,  I 
have  heard  them  spoken  of. 

Q.  And  you  have  searched,  earnestly,  to  find  those 
dates,  have  you  not?  A.  I  have  tried  to  recollect. 

Q.  And  you  have  tried  to  fix  in  your  mind  when 
they  were?  A.  Yes,  sir. 


1910  CONTEST  97 

Q.  But  your  attention  was  never  drawn  to  those 
dates  until  |  after  your  son  was  arrested?  A.  I  do  not 
think  it  was. 

Q.  And  that  was  six  months  after  the  occurrence? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  since  that  time  you  have  tried  to  find  out 
what  those  dates  were;  is  that  right?  A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  you  have  talked  with  your  husband  about 
the  dates?  A.  I  think  I  heard  him  talk  about  it,  but  I 
am  not  certain. 

Q.  j[2  You  would  be  willing  to  swear  that  you  heard 
him  talk  about  these  dates?  A.  Yes,  I  have  heard  him 
talk  of  it. 

Q.  And  you  have  also  talked  about  them  yourself? 
A.  I  think  I  may  have. 

Q.  Do  you  know  why  Roper  came  back  to  your  house 
after  going  away  the  first  time?  A.  Well,  I  understood 
that  he  came  back  to  trim  apple  trees. 

Q.  To  continue  j  his  job?  A.  No,  sir,  not  to  continue 
his  job  there  because  he  had  finished  what  he  came  to 
do  before. 

Q.  Well,  I  mean  he  was  to  continue  to  work  there? 
A.  Yes,  I  understood  so. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  him  say  so?  A.  I  don't  think 
I  did. 

Q.  When  he  went  away  you  heard  him  say  nothing 
about  coming  back?  A.  No,  not  that  I  can  remember  { 
just  now. 

Q.  Now,  Mrs.  Rose,  can  you  swear  that  Roper  and 
Williams  were  not  at  your  place  clearing  oats  on 
Wednesday?  A.  I  don't  think  they  were. 

Q.  Will  you  swear  positively  that  Roper  was  not 
there  on  Wednesday?  A.  I  don't  think  he  was  there; 
not  to  the  best  of  my  recollection  he  was  not. 


98          SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Was  he  there  the  next  Sunday?  A.  No,  sir;  he 
was  not.  j 

Q.  You  will  swear  positively  as  to  that?    A.  I  will. 

Q.  Now,  as  to  Saturday — did  he  stay  there  all  night? 
A.  No,  sir;  he  did  not. 

Q.  Mrs.  Rose,  will  you  tell  the  jury  why  you  are  so 
positive  that  Saturday  was  on  the  thirteenth — what 
reason  have  you  for  fixing  the  date  on  about  the 
thirteenth  rather  than  the  fourteenth?  A.  I  know  it 
was  on  Saturday  [I3  because  George's  wife  was  at  our 
house  that  afternoon. 

Q.  How  did  you  know  she  was  at  your  house  that 
afternoon  and  that  it  was  Saturday?  A.  I  take  it  from 
the  date  of  this  check  that  it  must  have  been  the  next 
day. 

Q.  Then  the  check  has  been  shown  to  you?  A.  No, 
sir. 

Q.  Then  how  do  you  take  it  from  the  date  of  the 
check?  A.  [  From  others  getting  the  date  of  the  check. 
Others  got  the  date  of  the  check  and  I  had  it  from 
them. 

Q.  Who  did  you  have  it  from?  A.  I  had  it  from  my 
husband. 

Q.  Then  he  showed  you  the  check  and  told  you  the 
day  it  was  dated?  A.  He  told  me  when  it  was  dated. 

Q.  Ajid  you  think  that  was  the  day  the  check  was 
dated?  j  A.  Yes,  sir.  They  drawed  in  the  last  load  of 
oats  that  day. 

Q.  Have  you  any  reason  for  saying  that  the  last  load 
of  oats  was  drawn  on  that  day — is  there  any  connection 
between  that  and  the  date  of  this  check — what  reason 
have  you  for  connecting  one  with  the  other,  have  you 
any?  A.  I  think  I  have  considerable. 

Q.  What  has  that  check  to  do  with  ]  the  delivery 


1910  CONTEST  99 

of  the  last  load  of  oats?  A.  My  son  got  the  check 
when  he  took  the  last  load  of  oats,  and  the  check  was 
dated  on  Saturday. 

Q.  You  say  you  never  saw  that  check?  A.  Yes, 
sir;  I  have  seen  it. 

Q.  Was  it  before  or  after  your  son  was  arrested? 
A.  I  couldn't  tell  you  when  it  was,  now. 

Q.  Do  you  think  he  showed  it  Ij4  to  you  when  he 
returned  from  the  bank?  A.  He  did  not  go  to  the  bank 
on  that  day. 

Q.  Well,  when  he  returned  from  seeing  Jones?  A. 
I  couldn't  tell  you. 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  the  circumstances  of  their  drying 
any  bags  around  the  fire?  A.  I  don't  know  as  I  do. 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  what  the  weather  was — whether 
it  was  rainy  or  snowy?  A.  I  do  j  not,  no  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  go  into  town  to  trade  about  Christmas 
time  with  Mr.  Williams  and  his  wife?  A.  I  couldn't 
say  whether  I  went  with  Williams'  folks  or  not,  but  I 
think  I  did. 

Q.  You  had  a  Christmas  tree  in  your  neighborhood 
at  that  time,  did  you  not?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  it  was  before  you  had  that  tree  that  you 
went  into  town?  A.  \  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  day  was  it?    A.  I  don't  recollect. 

Q.  You  went  in  a  double  team,  didn't  you?  A.  I 
should  think  it  likely,  but  I  don't  recollect. 

Q.  If  there  were  four  of  you,  yourself  and  your  hus- 
band and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams,  you  couldn't  very 
well  go  with  one  horse,  could  you?  A.  I  presume  we 
had  two  horses. 

Q.  Did  you  do  any  trading  that  \  day  you  were  in 
the  village?  A.  The  day  we  went  there  we  did  very 
little. 


100        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  buying  a  breast-pin?  A.  Yes, 
I  bought  that  at  the  store  in  the  postoffice. 

Q.  You  were  all  at  the  Christmas  tree  were  you  not? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  At  whose  invitation?  A.  I  don't  remember; 
I  don't  know  as  anybody  invited  us. 

Q.  But  you  went?    A.  Yes,  sir.  j[5    (1400  words) 


1911  N.  R.  S.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Buffalo) 

150  Words  a  Minute — Adams  Trophy 

LITERARY  MATTER 

Syllable  Intensity,  1.42 

The  Bible  is  the  young  man's  book.  It  gathers  its 
forces,  it  discharges  its  energies,  touched  as  they  are 
by  the  influences  of  heaven,  in  the  name  of  the  young 
man.  Thus  Moses  stands,  a  young  man,  I  in  the  halls 
of  a  majestic  past  that  he  may  handle  the  forces  of  a 
great  future,  and  he  was  great  never  so  surely  as  when, 
in  the  midst  of  the  hoary  ages,  his  eye  glanced  upon 
the  I  pyramids  that  were  new,  and  he  looked  into  the 
face  of  the  Sphinx,  and  realized  in  himself  the  imperish- 
able and  immortal  elements  that  know  no  decline  and 
that  have  gone  on  and  on  in  unfaded  significance  while  j 
kingdoms  and  empires  have  fallen  to  pieces.  So  we 
have  the  young  Samuels,  the  young  Daniels,  and  as  we 
go  on  through  the  centuries  we  have  that  great  civil 
engineer  Nehemiah.  And  at  last  we  find  ourselves  by  j  j l 
the  side  of  the  Jordan  gazing  upon  two  young  men; 
one  of  them  is  leading  his  Master  down  into  the  water, 
and  the  heavens  are  opened  above  his  head  and  the 
young  Jew  is  consecrated.  There,  in  \  the  midst  of  the 
glory  of  that  scene,  all  of  the  ecstasy,  and  all  of  the 
hopefulness,  and  all  of  the  brilliant  forces  invested  in 
young  manhood  have  their  coronation.  That  is  the 

101 


102        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

young  man's  scene.  That  is  j  the  most  rapturous, 
tenderest,  sweetest  music  heard  in  the  history  of  young 
manhood,  when  those  waters  are  broken,  when  the 
tinkling  drops  fall  upon  the  head  of  Jesus,  and  fall  again 
into  the  Jordan.  It  is  nothing  j  but  a  sweet  story,  a 
beautiful  tradition;  it  is  nothing  but  the  ever  living 
prophecy  of  young  manhood.  For,  above  young  man- 
hood, the  heavens  open;  out  of  those  unseen  spaces 
there  comes  a  dove,  and  today,  for  young  jj2  manhood, 
there  are  arching  skies,  and  out  of  some  balcony  of 
heaven  there  comes  a  voice:  "This  is  my  son." 

Jesus  Christ,  at  that  moment,  my  young  brothers, 
was  simply  claiming  for  young  manhood  the  relation- 
ship of  I  the  divine  life;  he  was  reaching  up  from  the 
heights  of  humanity  and  touching  divinity.  He  is 
finding  there  the  privilege  of  coming  as  a  young  man 
into  God's  world  with  God's  business  to  do,  and  He 
gave  I  His  life  and  He  gave  salvation  to  man,  and  He 
comes  to  us  through  consecrated  manhood  as  a  young 
man.  He  died  at  thirty-three  years  of  age  and  the 
mightiest  name  in  all  history  is  the  I  name  of  a  young 
man,  giving  to  us,  as  He  comes  through  the  ages,  fresh 
inspirations,  new  and  advancing  visions,  and  com- 
manding ideals.  And  He  is  still  a  young  man — the 
fairest  of  humanity — giving  to  us  by  H3  His  doctrines 
and  by  His  sentiments,  and  by  His  hopes,  and  by  His 
everlasting  commandments  of  righteousness  and  justice 
— giving  to  us  that  which  shall  make  you  and  me 
eternally  young,  and  shall  present  us,  by  and  \  by, 
before  the  great  God,  in  Whose  eternity  nothing  grows 
old. 

We  are  living  in  a  world  in  which  a  Methuselah  is 
impossible.  We  have  so  enlarged  the  meaning  of  a  year, 
we  have  so  distanced  slow-footed  1  Time  that,  today, 


1911   CONTEST  103 

every  man  is  young.  Today,  as  we  look  out  into  the 
opportunities  and  privileges  of  an  hour,  we  realize  we 
are  looking  into  what  was  a  little  while  ago  a  mighty 
century.  Long  stretches  \  of  time  have  been  abolished, 
and  there  has  come  into  common  humanity  through 
halls  of  learning  in  which  these  young  men  have  been 
trained — there  has  come  into  modern  -life  speed, 
movement,  majesty  of  outlook  and  commanding  forces, 
[I4  intellectual  and  spiritual,  so  that  the  day  in  which 
they  enter  public  life  is  a  day  resounding  with  the  bells, 
with  the  clang,  with  the  music  of  ages.  A  young  man 
living  ten  years  today  has  within  ]  him  a  certain  frag- 
ment of  eternity  of  which  the  nine  hundred  or  more 
years  of  Methuselah  had  not  the  slightest  glimpse  or 
the  smallest  understanding.  What  tomorrow  holds 
before  these  young  men  I  know  not.  I  know  that  [  the 
imperial  value  of  youth  shall  lie  in  those  permanent 
forces  which  shall  come  out  of  eternal  facts.  It  is 
only  because  God  revealed  Himself  in  nature  a  per- 
petual God,  an  understanding  God,  a  continuous  God, 
the  ]  force  of  all  forces — it  is  only  because  God  is  being 
approached  more  and  more  nearly  in  mechanism,  more 
and  more  nearly  through  the  revelations  of  Himself 
in  all  the  attitudes  and  aspects  of  the  life  of  ][5  .  .  . 
(750  words) 


1911  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Buffalo) 

170  Words  a  Minute — Adams  Trophy 

LITERARY  MATTER 

Syllable  Intensity,  1.43 

I  think  that  rather  too  much  fuss  has  been  made 
about  this  meeting.  It  is  literally  and  exactly  what  you 
described  it  in  your  requisition  to  be — the  wish  of  the 
business  men  who  saw  some  ground  for  suspicion  in 
the  government  \  proposals  to  hear  my  opinions  on  that 
point.  From  that  moment  it  has  developed  into  a  sort 
of  national  conflagration — for  which  neither  you  nor  I 
are  responsible.  You  did  me  a  great  honor,  commercial 
men  of  the  second  city  of  the  Empire,  [  in  wishing  to 
know  my  views  on  this  most  momentous  measure;  and 
in  sending  me  your  requisition  you  sent  me  a  challenge 
which  I  could  not  in  honor  or  honesty  decline.  Painful 
as  it  is  to  me  in  many  respects  to  speak  j  as  I  must 
speak  today,  but  conscious  also,  as  I  am,  that  the  posi- 
tion that  I  have  held  in  the  confidence  of  my  sovereign 
and  the  country  could  not  allow  my  absolute  silence  at 
a  moment  like  this — I  come  then  today  to  jj1  give  you 
my  plain,  unadorned  opinion,  without  any  eloquence, 
without  any  quips  or  cranks,  simply  to  put  my  mind 
into  the  common  stock. 

And  there  is  this  about  this  meeting,  that  it  com- 
promises nobody.  We  have  no  resolution,  which  I 

104 


1911   CONTEST  105 

think  a  [  most  laudable  omission.  We  do  not  com- 
promise each  other — you  because  you  belong  to  both 
political  parties,  and  I  because  I  belong  to  none.  There- 
fore you  have,  at  any  rate,  in  that  the  impartiality  that 
your  chairman  desires.  Now,  gentlemen,  I  have  said  \ 
that  I  was  unwilling  in  some  respects  to  stand  here 
because  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  show  a  very  public 
and  flagrant  difference  to  my  oldest  and  closest  friends 
in  politics — those  now  high  in  power  and  in  the  confi- 
dence of  I  the  State,  from  whom  I  am  compelled  to 
differ  on  a  matter  vital  to  their  policy;  and  I  hope, 
therefore,  that  one  abstinence,  at  any  rate,  will  be 
practiced.  I  hope  what  I  say  will  not  be  quoted  in  any 
way  against  the  \\ 2  party.  I  have  long  ceased  to  be  in 
communion  with  the  party.  I  have  long  since  been  an 
independent  politician.  It  is  not  fair  to  anyone,  to 
whatever  section  they  may  belong,  to  throw  up  my 
opinions  as  something  that  compromises  the  \  party. 
Now,  gentlemen,  it  is  my  duty  today  to  show  why 
I  believe  it  not  to  be  in  the  best  interests  of  the  nation 
that  this  financial  measure  should  become  law.  I  know 
it  will  be  said  that  as  I  am  well  off  \  I  have  no  right  to 
speak  on  such  a  question;  that  it  is  only  the  cry  of  a 
wounded  taxpayer  that  you  will  hear.  Well,  if  you 
carry  that  proposition  to  its  logical  conclusion  it  will 
be  a  somewhat  one-sided  discussion.  \  But  I  would 
venture  also  to  point  out  that  there  is  no  conceivable 
system  of  taxation  in  which  a  man  who  is  opulent  will 
not  be  severely  taxed  when  some  large  sum  of  money 
is  to  be  raised,  and,  therefore,  when  a  person  H3  of 
opulence  speaks  on  a  question  like  this,  he  is  only, 
after  all,  making  a  choice  of  evils  as  regards  himself. 
That  is  obvious  enough.  The  other  ridiculous  allega- 
tion of  which  we  have  heard  so  much  is  that  those  who 


106        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

•cried  out  \  for  warships  are  the  first  to  cry  out  against 
paying  for  them.  That,  again,  needs  a  very  slight 
•examination.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  taxes  which  have 
been  under  discussion  are  the  land  taxes,  which,  accord- 
ing to  the  statement  of  the  Government  j  themselves, 
would  not  produce  a  fraction  of  a  warship;  and  what  is 
more  is  that  none,  I  believe,  of  the  additional  taxation 
provided  is  to  go  to  our  naval  construction  at  all. 

Well,  now,  we  clear  away  all  that  preliminary  rubbish 
of  I  which  we  see  too  much  and  we  come  at  once  to  the 
question  that  concerns  us — that  is  before  the  country. 
It  is  the  most  remarkable,  I  venture  to  say,  that  was 
ever  presented  by  any  party. 

I  should  venture  to  think  that  H4  in  that  long  and 
almost  haphazard  catalogue  there  is  a  multitude  of  taxes 
which  seem  designed  for  no  other  object  than  simply 
to  cause  that  feeling  of  universal  insecurity  of  which  I 
have  spoken.  I  am  not  going  to  speak  of  the  [  deficit, 
for  no  one  knows  what  the  deficit  is;  an  eminent  econo- 
mist thinks  there  is  no  real  deficit  at  all.  I  am  quite 
certain  of  this — we  are  not  in  possession  of  the  real 
figures  as  regards  the  deficit,  and  not  in  possession  [  of 
the  real  figures  of  the  amount  the  taxes  are  to  bring 
in ;  and  each  of  these  omissions  is  so  important  on  both 
sides  that  I  won't  dip  into  that  part  of  the  inquiry. 

Nor,  may  I  say  in  passing,  can  I  ]  touch  on  the 
licensing  clauses  of  the  bill.  They  are,  as  I  understand, 
unjust  and  largely  confiscatory  in  their  nature;  but 
they  are  so  complicated,  that  it  would  require  a  greater 
expert  than  I  am,  with  much  more  time  at  his 
disposal  than  [[5  I  have  to  deal  with  them  properly. 
(850  words) 


1911  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Buffalo) 

190  Words  a  Minute — Adams  Trophy 

JURY  CHARGE 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.38 

Gentlemen  of  the  Jury: 

Before  entering  directly  upon  my  charge  covering 
the  law  in  this  case,  I  will  say  to  you  that  if  you  have 
any  prejudice  against  divorce,  dismiss  it  from  your 
mind  entirely,  for  you,  by  your  verdict,  do  not  give  a 
divorce,  npr  do  J  you  refuse  a  divorce.  You  merely 
find  a  principal  question  of  fact,  and  such  other  ques- 
tions of  fact  as  may  be  necessary  to  throw  light  upon 
the  principal  question  of  fact.  Then,  after  you  have 
rendered  your  verdict,  the  court  enters  such  decree, 
granting  or  refusing  a  divorce,  I  as  may  be  proper  under 
the  circumstances.  You  can  relieve  your  conscience 
and  your  mind  of  all  thought  on  that  subject,  for  all 
you  have  to  do  is  to  simply  decide  the  facts  which  I 
will  call  to  your  attention,  and  when  you  have  done 
that,  you  \  have  no  further  concern  in  the  matter. 
Therefore,  you  should  handle  the  questions  presented 
to  you  as  you  would  any  other  question  of  fact,  and 
just  as  you  would  a  contract  case,  without  sympathy 
or  passion  one  way  or  the  other.  The  desertion  which 
has  to  be  made  \  \ l  out  to  entitle  a  person  to  relief  in  a 
proceeding  of  this  kind  must  be  willful,  malicious  and 

107 


108        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

without  reasonable  cause,  and  persisted  in  continuously 
for  two  years.  Therefore,  you  can  see  the  relevancy 
of  the  testimony  as  to  what  took  place  at  the  time  of 
the  {  alleged  desertion,  to  wit,  as  to  the  fight  between 
the  sister  of  the  libellant  and  the  respondent,  as  to  the 
conduct  of  the  husband  directly  at  that  time,  and  as 
to  his  conduct  shortly  afterwards  in  the  matter  of  the 
arrest  growing  out  of  that  event.  That  has  j  been  gone 
into  very  thoroughly,  and  that  is  all,  as  I  say,  to  throw 
light  upon  the  main  question,  so  that  you  may  make 
up  your  mind  whether,  when  the  wife  left  the  house  on 
that  day,  there  was  a  willful  and  malicious  desertion 
without  reasonable  cause,  ]  or  whether  she  was  justified 
in  leaving  at  that  time.  If  it  was  a  willful  and  malicious 
desertion,  without  reasonable  cause,  the  husband,  to 
start  with,  has  properly  begun  his  suit  and  has  made 
out  that  very  important  part  of  his  action.  But  if 
you  draw  the  conclusion,  jj2  at  the  starting  point,  that 
it  was  not  a  willful  and  malicious  desertion,  without 
reasonable  cause,  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  the  hus- 
band had  been  guilty  of  cruel  treatment;  and  if  the 
wife,  (under  all  the  circumstances  that  have  been 
detailed  to  you  as  to  what  occurred  j  on  that  day  and 
before  that  day,  and  considering  the  conduct  of  the 
husband  immediately  after  that  day,  as  possibly  throw- 
ing a  side  light  on  what  happened  on  that  day)  was 
justified  in  leaving  him  because  of  his  cruel  treatment; 
then  there  was  no  desertion  on  her  part  j  at  that  time. 
A.S  the  issue  is  drawn  and  as  you  are  to  decide  that  as 
being  the  time  of  the  desertion,  unless  there  was  a 
desertion  on  her  part  at  that  time,  Mr.  Johnson,  the 
plaintiff,  would  have  no  right  to  a  verdict  in  this  case,  j 
If  there  was  a  desertion  at  that  time,  willful  and  mali- 
cious and  without  reasonable  cause,  which  was  persisted 


1911   CONTEST  109 

in  for  two  years  continuously  thereafter,  then  he  would 
have  a  right  to  a  verdict  at  your  hands  in  this  case. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  testimony,  covering  a  {I3 
long  series  of  years  since  that  time,  but  that  is  all  of 
value  only  in  the  same  way,  to  enable  you  to  decide 
the  main  issue.  That  is,  was  the  libellant's  conduct 
from  that  time  on,  as  you  can  draw  it  from  the  testi- 
mony, consistent  with  the  J  allegations  in  this  case, 
viz. :  the  belief  on  his  part  that  there  had  been  a  willful 
and  malicious  desertion  on  the  part  of  his  wife,  or  was 
it  not  consistent  with  that  belief?  If  it  seems  to  be 
consistent  with  that  belief,  it  helps  you  to  look  at  \ 
the  case  in  one  way;  if  it  seems  to  be  inconsistent  with 
that  belief,  it  helps  you  to  look  at  the  case  in  another 
way.  I  am  not  going  to  review  all  of  the  testimony 
in  the  case,  for  the  reason  that  I  do  not  think  it  ]  is 
necessary  to  do  so.  The  case  was  presented  to  you  ably 
by  trained  counsel,  and  it  has  been  argued  to  you,  and 
they  have  given  you  their  view  of  the  testimony.  In 
addition  to  that  you  listened  to  it  very  attentively. 
It  was  repeated  in  its  main  j[4  points  by  several  wit- 
nesses on  both  sides,  and  the  cross  examination  brought 
out  the  view  of  the  other  side  as  to  it.  After  all  is  said 
and  done,  you  are  the  judges  of  the  testimony.  It  is 
for  you  to  say  whom  you  will  believe ;  it  is  j  not  for  me 
to  say  whom  you  will  believe.  It  is  for  you  to  say  just 
exactly  how  much  belief  you  will  put  in  any  testimony 
that  is  given  to  you,  and  how  much  of  the  testimony 
you  will  put  aside  as  not  worthy  of  your  belief.  It  \ 
is  for  you  to  say  what  deductions  you  will  make  from 
the  testimony  and  what  inferences  you  will  draw  from 
it.  I  may  be  obliged,  in  the  course  of  this  charge,  to 
refer  to  points  of  the  testimony,  but  if  I  say  anything 
as  to  the  facts  j  which  is  not  in  accordance  with  your 


110        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

recollection,  you  will  take  your  own  recollection  and 
not  mine.  I  want  to  leave  the  facts  entirely  with  you, 
because,  as  I  say,  they  are  for  you  to  decide.  You  take 
the  law  from  me  and  the  facts  from  the  witnesses  \\5 
in  making  up  your  mind.  (950  words) 


1911  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Buffalo) 

200  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.37 

Mr.  Speaker,  I  have  remained  here  at  the  post  of 
duty,  in  the  face  of  a  hot  campaign  at  home,  in  order, 
among  other  things,  that  I  may  aid  in  passing  this 
"anti-gambling  bill."  I  am  glad  that  I  shall  soon  have 
the  opportunity  of  registering  my  vote  in  [  favor  of 
this  bill. 

I  cannot  hope  to  say  much  in  the  short  time  allowed 
under  the  five-minute  rule.  I  certainly  cannot  hope  to 
say  as  much  as  I  would  like  to,  nor  can  I  express  myself 
as  strongly  as  I  feel  against  the  wrongful  practice  of 
gambling  in  j  farm  products.  I  am  opposed  to  gam- 
bling in  any  form.  Ordinary  gambling  with  dice,  cards, 
wheels,  or  other  devices  and  contrivances,  where  the 
players  stake  their  cash,  and  in  which  the  unsuspecting 
are  robbed,  is  no  more  objectionable  than  the  system 
of  gambling  in  the  crops  of  the  earth,  which  \  are  pro- 
duced by  the  sweat  and  toil  of  our  American  farmers. 
I  think,  indeed,  that  gambling  in  farm  products  is 
even  a  greater  crime  against  the  public  and  against 
the  producer  than  a  common  swindle  with  cards  or 
other  means  of  gambling  where  men  take  chances  on  a 
game  of  [I1  any  sort,  for  in  those  cases  all  parties  sit 

111 


112        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

down  deliberately,  coolly,  with  a  knowledge  that  they 
are  there  for  that  purpose,  and  all  parties  are  there 
with  their  own  consent;  but  this  system  of  gambling 
in  farm  products — where  the  "Wall  Street  gambler" 
—thousands  of  miles  from  the  snowy  \  -fleeced  cotton 
fields  of  the  South — plays  a  one-sided  game,  with 
"stacked  cards"  and  "loaded  dice,"  against  the  "son 
of  the  soil,"  who  is  hardly  aware  that  he  is  in  the  game, 
being  robbed  out  of  his  earnings  and  out  of  his  cotton 
and  farm  products  even  before  the  I  crops  are  made 
and  gathered. 

Sir,  such  practice  cannot  be  justified  morally;  nor 
can  it  continue  long,  legalized  as  it  is,  under  our  laws, 
for  the  manhood  of  this  country  is  beginning  to  assert 
itself.  Not  only  are  the  farmers  against  this  evil  prac- 
tice, but  thousands  of  honest  men,  whose  \  fingers  have 
not  been  soiled  with  the  corrupt  dollars  from  this 
"system,"  in  city,  country,  and  town  are  demanding 
that  this  wicked  system  of  robbery  be  checked,  and 
that  the  long,  filching  fingers  of  the  "Wall  Street 
gamblers"  be  removed  from  the  pockets  of  our  farmers, 
and  from  the  pockets  H 2  of  the  public. 

This  bill  is  not  as  broad  or  as  drastic  as  I  would  like 
to  see  it.  It  does  not  include  all  farm  products,  but  it 
reaches  that  in  which  my  people  are  vitally  interested 
— and  that  is,  it  suppresses  gambling  in  cotton.  I  am 
for  this  bill  [  and  hope  to  see  it  enacted  into  law,  as  it 
will  greatly  remedy  the  situation  from  what  it  is  now 
and  will  be  a  step  in  the  right  direction. 

I  have  received  hundreds  of  letters  from  farmers  in 
my  district,  the  greatest  number  of  them  coming  from 
members  of  the  j  Farmers'  Union,  urging  especially  the 
passage  of  legislation  that  will  protect  them  against 
the  farm-product  gambler. 


1911  CONTEST  113 

Understand  me  clearly.  It  is  only  the  illegitimate 
trading  in  cotton  and  farm  products  that  I  am  opposed 
to;  and  that  is  all  the  farmers  are  opposed  to.  There 
is  no  word  of  \  complaint  or  opposition  from  any  quar- 
ter against  legitimate  trading.  No  honest  man  can 
want  more  than  to  trade  in  legitimate  bounds  and 
no  dishonest  man  should  be  permitted  to  do  more, 
even  if  he  so  desires.  It  is  argued  by  some  that  to  upset 
this  practice  will  "hurt  business,"  and  ]j3  that  it  will 
hurt  prices  on  farm  products.  One  had  just  as  well 
argue  that  to  upset  highway  robbery  or  to  prevent 
ordinary  gambling  in  gambling  dens,  where  young  men 
are  led  away  from  paths  of  right  and  high  ideals,  would 
hurt  business.  There  is  always  an  argument  when  men  | 
want  to  put  one  forth — if  not  a  legitimate  argument, 
then  a  manufactured  one.  This  legislation  is  in  the 
interest  of  good  morals  and  common  fairness.  It  is  in 
the  interest  of  a  class  of  people,  too,  who  need  more 
protection  and  encouragement  at  the  hands  of  our 
national  government  {  than  they  have  heretofore 
received.  All  the  farmers  want  is  an  honest  market 
and  such  prices  as  will  follow  the  unhampered  operation 
of  the  law  of  supply  and  demand.  The  South  produces 
nearly  all  of  the  cotton  of  this  country,  and  yet  the 
farmers  of  the  South  are  annually  juggled  \  out  of 
millions  of  dollars  by  the  "sharks"  that  scheme  on  the 
cotton  crop  before  the  seed  goes  into  the  ground  and 
fix  prices  from  distant  points  a  year  or  more  in  advance. 
What  we  want,  and  what  the  farmers  of  this  country 
want,  is  not  a  legalized  system,  as  jj4  it  now  exists, 
whereby  the  illegal  speculator  can  fix  prices  and  say 
"I'll  give  this  or  that  price,"  but,  under  the  honest 
law  of  supply  and  demand,  we  want  it  in  such  shape 
that  the  farmer  will  have  some  say  in  the  matter  as  to 


114        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

what  his  cotton  and  produce  j  is  worth,  and  so  that  he, 
as  a  citizen  of  this  country,  equal  in  rights  with  those 
of  any  other  living  man,  can  say,  like  merchants  when 
they  have  things  to  sell,  "I'll  take  this  or  that  price  for 
my  cotton  or  produce."  Instead  of  leaving  the  farmers 
in  the  {  clutches  of  the  speculators,  we  want  to  fix  it 
so  that  the  gambling  speculators  will  have  to  retire 
from  the  field  or  be  in  the  clutches  of  the  law.  Turn 
about  is  fair  play.  The  New  York  cotton  gambler 
has  had  his  turn  and  has  feasted  and  fattened  long 
enough  [  at  the  expense  of  our  cotton  farmers.  I  for 
one  am  ready  now  to  amend  this  bill  so  that  the  pen- 
alties will  be  heavier  and  the  provisions  of  the  bill  be 
broader  and  made  to  include  all  farm  produce. 

I  believe  that  the  passage  of  this  legislation  will 
bring  [[5  gladness  to  millions  of  American  farm  homes. 
(1000  words) 


1911  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Buffalo) 

210  Words  a  Minute — Adams  Trophy 

TESTIMONY 
Syllable  Intensity: 

With  Q's  and  A's  1.29 

Without  Q's  and  A's       1.24 
Number  of  Q's  and  A's      71 

Q.  Do  you  recall  the  transaction  of  the  sale  of  a  car 
of  melons  on  July  20?  A.  I  do. 

Q.  Just  state  to  the  jury  exactly  what  occurred  on 
that  morning.  A.  I  offered  the  car  of  melons  for  sale, 
and  Mr.  Roberts  came  up  to  me  and  I  showed  it  to  | 
him,  and  he  got  in  and  examined  the  car.  The  doors 
were  open.  He  got  in  and  examined  the  car,  and  I 
asked  him  a  little  more  than  $200  for  the  car,  but  we 
agreed  on  a  price  of  $200,  and  he  bought  it.  I  gave 
him  an  order  [  for  it,  as  we  did  everybody  else  that  we 
sold  carloads  of  melons  to. 

Q.  What  time  of  day  was  that?  A.  About  9:30  to 
10  o'clock,  I  presume,  in  the  morning. 

Q.  By  the  order  you  mean  an  order  on  the  Railroad 
Company  for  the  delivery  of  the  car?  A.  I  The  rules 
of  the  company  were  when  we  sold  a  car  of  melons,  to 
give  the  buyer  an  order,  and  that  is  all  we  had  to  do 
with  it. 

Q.  Did  you  give  him  that  order?  A.  I  gave  Mr. 
Roberts  that  order. 

115 


116        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  When  you  say  Mr.  Roberts  got  into  the  car,  I]1 
what  kind  of  a  car  was  it?  A.  It  was  a  common  ordi- 
nary box  car. 

Q.  A  railroad  car?    A.  A  railroad  car,  yes,  sir. 

Q.  The  melons  came  up  how  far  from  the  bottom  of 
the  car?  A.  About,  I  should  judge,  four  and  a  half 
feet ;  four  to  four  and  \  a  half  feet. 

Q.  Did  he  have  opportunities  to  go  in  from  end  to 
end  of  the  car  and  examine  the  whole  lot  of  melons? 
A.  That  is  the  privilege  the  buyer  has.  He  can  go  in 
the  car  and  examine  it  wherever  he  wants  to. 

Q.  Did  he  do  that?  A.  He  \  examined  this  car  of 
melons,  I  suppose,  thoroughly. 

Q.  How  many  times  did  he  see  you  that  morning  with 
reference  to  the  car  of  melons?  A.  Two  or  three  times. 

Q.  He  came  and  went  away  again?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  there  any  dickering  about  the  price  between 
you?  A.  I  wanted  |  $210  for  the  car  of  melons. 

Q.  What  was  the  price  finally  fixed  at?    A.  $200. 

Q.  What  did  you  do  after  you  gave  him  the  transfer 
slip?  A.  It  was  the  last  car  of  melons  that  I  had  for 
sale.  I  went  from  there  down  to  Market  \\2  Street. 

Q.  What  is  that?  A.  That  is  our  store. 
.  Q.  When  was  the  next  you  heard  of  this  car  of 
melons?  A.  The  next  morning  about  half  past  eight 
or  eight  o'clock,  probably.  The  first  that  I  knew  about 
it  was  a  lot  of  other  men  came  to  me  and  wanted  \  to 
know  what  I  was  going  to  do  with  the  car  of  melons 
that  Mr.  Roberts  had  turned  down.  That  was  the 
first  I  knew  of  it.  Then  I  called  my  brother  on  the 
telephone. 

Q.  In  consequence  of  that  what  did  you  do  with  the 
car  of  melons  that  morning?  A.  I  [  sold  it  after  I  got 
word  from  my  brother 


1911   CONTEST  117 

Q.  You  sold  the  same  car  a  second  time?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  did  you  get  for  it  the  -second  time?  A. 
$150. 

Q.  Was  that  the  largest  price  you  could  get  for  it? 
A.  That  was  the  largest  price  \  I  could  get  for  it  that 
day. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  change  in  the  melon  market 
on  that  day  from  the  day  before?  A.  Yes,  and  a  change 
particularly  in  the  car.  There  had  been  a  load  of 
melons  taken  out  of  it  and  thrown  back  into  the  car, 
and  that  would  |j3  make  it  look  worse  than  what  it 
really  was,  and  it  wouldn't  bring  as  much  money  as  a 
fresh  car  of  melons. 

Q.  How  was  it  sold?  Was  it  by  auction  sale?  A. 
No,  sir,  private  sale.  Those  melons  are  all  sold  by 
private  sale. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  change  in  \  the  market  value 
of  melons  over  night?  A.  Yes,  sir,  I  should  say  a  little, 
but  not  very  much.  If  this  car  of  melons  had  been  in 
the  same  condition,  I  think  it  would  have  brought  just 
the  same  amount  of  money. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  to  get  a  good  price  [ 
for  the  melons?  A.  I  tried  to  get  more  money. 

Q.  You  got  the  best  price  you  could  get  for  them, 
did  you?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Mr.  Roberts  with  reference  to  the 
car?  A.  I  did  not.  My  brother  did. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  seen  him  at  all  j  with  reference 
to  it?  A.  I  have  not,  no,  sir. 

Q.  You  say  Mr.  Roberts  examined  that  car  thor- 
oughly? A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  thoroughly?  How  many 
of  the  melons  did  he  examine?  A.  Well,  I  mean  if  he 
did  not  he  was  foolish,  because  he  was  in  the  [I4  car 


118        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

two  or  three  times,  and  when  I  went  to  see  the  car 
he  had  dug  three  or  four  holes  in  the  car  and  the  melons 
were  to  be  seen,  I  suppose,  down  very  near  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  car. 

Q.  You  didn't  see  him  examine  it  thoroughly,  did 
you?  You  I  presume  he  examined  it?  A.  I  assume 
that,  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Isn't  it  a  fact  that  after  Mr.  Roberts  had  exam- 
ined the  top  melons,  you  told  him  and  expressly  war- 
ranted that  the  rest  of  the  melons  were  of  the  same 
quality  as  the  top?  A.  No,  sir,  I  did  not,  because  we 
do  I  not  grow  the  melons  and  we  do  not  put  them  in 
the  cars.  They  are  put  in  the  cars  at  the  place  they 
are  grown  and  shipped  here  for  us  to  sell. 

Q.  This  happened  to  be  the  last  carload  you  had 
that  morning,  wasn't  it?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  were  [  in  a  hurry  to  get  away,  weren't  you? 
A.  No,  sir,  I  was  not. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  the  top  row  of  these  melons? 
Do  you  remember  the  size  of  them?  A.  Well,  I  should 
say  that  the  top  row  of  melons  in  the  car  probably  was 
25  pound  melons. 

Q.  How  |[5  many  25  pound  melons  to  a  car,  usually? 
(1050  words) 


1911  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Buffalo) 

240  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

JURY  CHARGE 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.46 

The  court  instructs  you  that  the  mere  fact  that  the 
plaintiff  received  a  fatal  injury  while  working  for  the 
defendant  does  not  entitle  the  plaintiff  to  recover  a 
verdict  in  this  case.  The  plaintiff  is  not  entitled  to 
recover  a  verdict  unless  she  proves  by  a  preponderance 
of  the  evidence,  and  by  that  is  meant  a  greater  weight 
of  the  |  evidence,  the  following  propositions : 

First:  The  plaintiff  must  prove  by  a  preponderance 
of  the  evidence  that  she  was  at  the  time  and  immedi- 
ately before  she  received  the  injury,  in  the  exercise  of 
reasonable  and  ordinary  care  for  her  own  safety,  and 
that  she  could  not  have  prevented  the  injury  to  herself 
by  the  exercise  of  such  reasonable  and  ordinary  care.  [ 
If  she  could  have  prevented  said  injury,  then  she  was 
bound  to  do  so;  and  if  you  find  from  the  evidence 
that  she  failed  to  do  so,  and  such  failure  contributed 
in  any  way  to  the  happenings  of  the  injury,  the  plain- 
tiff is  not  entitled  to  recover  in  this  suit. 

Second:  The  plaintiff  must  also  prove  by  the  greater 
weight  j  of  the  evidence  that  the  top  of  the  machine 
in  question  was  in  a  dangerous  and  unsafe  condition 

119 


120        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

as  charged  in  some  one  count  of  the  declaration,  and 
that  the  injury  was  caused  by  such  dangerous  and 
unsafe  condition,  and  was  not  caused  by  any  want  of 
ordinary  care  on  the  part  of  the  plaintiff. 

Third:  The  plaintiff  must  also  \\l  prove  by  the 
greater  weight  of  the  evidence  that  Jones  did  not  him- 
self know  of  such  unsafe  and  dangerous  condition, 
and  that  he  could  not  have  known  of  it  by  the  exercise 
of  reasonable  care.  If  you  find  from  the  evidence  in 
this  case  that  the  plaintiff  has  failed  to  prove  by  the 
greater  weight  of  the  evidence  all  or  [  any  of  the  fore- 
going propositions  contained  in  this  instruction,  which 
you  have  been  instructed  she  is  required  to  prove  by 
the  preponderance  of  the  evidence,  then  you  are 
instructed  that  she  is  not  entitled  to  recover  in  this 
suit  and  your  verdict  must  be  for  the  defendant. 

You  are  instructed  that  there  is  no  duty  upon  an 
employer  to  warn  |  and  instruct  an  employee  as  to 
dangers  which  are  open,  obvious  and  patent  to  persons 
of  ordinary  intelligence,  and  one  who  attempts  to  do 
work  which  exposes  him  to  obvious  and  known  dangers, 
assumes  the  risk  of  such  dangers.  If  you  believe  from 
the  evidence  that  the  condition  of  the  machine  in  ques- 
tion was  open  and  obvious  to  the  plaintiff  j  then  you 
are  instructed  that  it  was  not  the  duty  of  the  defendant 
to  instruct  him  that  such  condition  was  dangerous; 
and  if  you  further  believe  that  the  plaintiff  was  injured 
as  the  result  of  such  open  and  obvious  condition,  then 
the  plaintiff  cannot  recover  and  your  verdict  must  be 
for  the  defendant. 

You  are  instructed  that  the  plaintiff  has  I|2  alleged 
in  this  case  that  Jones  sustained  fatal  injuries  by  reason 
of  the  fact  that  the  defendant  negligently  allowed  a 
certain  machine  to  remain  open  and  uncovered,  and 


1911   CONTEST  121 

allowed  the  planks  and  surroundings  to  be  greasy, 
slippery  and  not  sufficiently  lighted. 

You  are  instructed  that  before  the  plaintiff  can 
recover,  he  must  prove  by  the  greater  weight  of  the 
evidence:  j 

First:  That,  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  the  place 
in  question  was  not  a  reasonably  safe  place  to  do  the 
work  being  performed  by  the  plaintiff; 

Second :  That  Jones  did  not  know  that  the  conditions 
were  dangerous  and  unsafe; 

Third:  That  Jones  did  not  have  equal  means  with 
the  defendant  to  know  of  the  facts  concerning  the  con- 
dition of  [  the  top  of  the  machine  and  the  light  sur- 
rounding it,  and  of  the  dangers  arising  from  such  con- 
ditions ; 

Fourth:  That  the  injury  to  Jones  was  sustained  by 
reason  of  such  dangerous  conditions. 

If  you  believe  from  the  evidence  that  the  plaintiff 
has  failed  to  prove  any  of  these  four  propositions  by 
the  greater  weight  of  the  evidence,  or  if  you  \  find  that 
his  injury  was  sustained  by  any  other  fact  than  that 
the  top  of  the  machine  was  not  a  reasonably  safe  place 
upon  which  to  work,  then  you  are  instructed  that  the 
plaintiff  cannot  recover  and  your  verdict  must  be  for 
the  defendant. 

You  are  instructed  that  the  mere  fact  that  Jones  was 
employed  by  the  defendant  company,  and  jj3  that  he 
was  injured  while  in  its  employment  does  not  in  law 
raise  any  presumption  in  favor  of  the  plaintiff's  right 
to  recover  in  this  case.  Neither  does  the  fact  that  the 
plaintiff  has  brought  the  suit,  which  has  been  tried 
before,  indicate  that  the  plaintiff  has  any  right  to 
recover. 

The  law  is  that  there  can  be  no  recovery  j  against 


the  defendant  unless  plaintiff  proves  by  the  greater 
weight  of  the  evidence  that  the  defendant  was  guilty 
of  negligence  as  charged  in  some  one  count  of  the 
declaration,  which  caused  the  injury  to  Jones. 

If  you  believe  from  the  evidence  that  the  defendant 
was  not  guilty  of  such  negligence,  which  caused  said 
injury,  then  it  is  not  liable,  and  J  the  plaintiff  cannot 
recover  against  it;  or  if,  after  you  have  considered  all 
the  evidence,  you  are  in  doubt  and  are  unable  to  say 
whether  or  not  the  defendant  was  guilty  of  the  negli- 
gence which  caused  the  injury,  then  in  such  case  you 
are  instructed  that  the  plaintiff  cannot  recover,  and 
your  verdict  must  be  for  the  defendant. 

You  are  \  instructed  that  you  are  not  to  allow  any 
sympathy  which  you  may  feel  as  men  for  the  plaintiff 
to  influence  you  in  the  slightest  degree  as  jurymen. 
You  are  to  determine  this  case  upon  the  law  and  evi- 
dence, and  the  mere  fact  that  the  plaintiff  was  injured 
can  have  no  bearing  whatsoever  upon  the  question  as 
to  whether  or  not  H4  the  defendant  is  liable.  It  is  your 
duty  to  decide  this  case  precisely  the  same  as  if  it  were 
a  suit  between  two  individuals,  and  the  fact  that  the 
plaintiff  is  an  individual  and  the  defendant  is  a  cor- 
poration should  make  no  difference  to  you.  In  consid- 
ering and  deciding  the  case  you  should  look  solely  to 
the  evidence  for  the  ]  facts  and  to  the  instructions  of  the 
court  for  the  law  of  the  case,  and  find  your  verdict 
accordingly,  without  any  reference  as  to  who  is  the 
plaintiff  and  who  is  the  defendant,  or  to  any  considera- 
tion whatever,  other  than  the  law  and  the  evidence; 
and  it  is  your  duty  to  take  the  law  from  the  court, 
and  to  follow  ]  the  same  whether  you  think  the  same  is 
right  or  not. 

You  are  instructed,  as  a  matter  of  law,  that  if  you 


1911   CONTEST  123 

believe  from  the  evidence  in  this  case  that  the  injury 
to  the  plaintiff,  to  recover  for  which  this  suit  was 
brought,  was  the  result  of  an  accident  so  far  as  the 
defendant  was  concerned,  and  was  no  more  {  the  fault 
of  the  said  defendant  than  it  was  of  Jones,  then  the 
plaintiff  cannot  recover  and  your  verdict  must  be  for 
the  defendant. 

You  are  instructed  that  the  law  does  not  make  an 
employer  liable  for  every  injury  which  may  happen 
to  an  employee  while  engaged  in  his  work,  and  if  in 
this  case  you  believe  that  Jones  was  \\ 5  injured. .  .  .  (1200 
words) 


1911  N.  S.   R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Buffalo) 

280  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

TESTIMONY 

Syllable  Intensity: 
With  Q's  and  A's  1.29 

Without  Q's  and  A's      1.22 
Number  of  Q's  and  A's  128 

Q.  You  never  talked  with  him  about  that  at  all? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  never  told  him  about  it?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  never  told  anybody  connected  with  this 
case  anything  about  it?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  never  told  anybody  then  before  you  came 
into  court  here  today  that  you  would  swear  to  it — you 
would  swear  to — if  you  were  asked  all  these  questions 
that  he  |  has  written  out?  A.  Certainly  not. 

Q.  Not  a  soul?    A.  No,  sir;   nothing  but  the  truth. 

Q.  You  never  told  anybody,  either  Mr.  Duncan  or 
the  other  lawyer  who  was  in  this  case,  or  anybody  con- 
nected with  this  case,  or  with  their  office,  what  you 
would  say  in  response  to  these  different  questions? 
A.  Certainly  not. 

Q.  Before  you  came  to  court?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  never  saw  [  that  little  slip  of  paper  that  Mr. 
Duncan  had  in  his  hand?  A.  I  cannot  say  I  have; 
no,  sir. 

Q.  You  never  went  over  with  him  or  anybody  else 

124 


1911   CONTEST  125 

and  marked  on  this  map  all  the  places  where  you  would 
say  that  you  were  and  where  the  boy  was?  A.  Never 
marked  it  before  I  came  into  court  today. 

Q.  And  never  went  over  it  and  said  that  you  [  would 
say  where  all  these  things  were?  A.  No,  sir;  I  would 
not  till  I  came  into  court;  I  have  to  testify  to  the 
truth. 

Q.  You  absolutely  refused  to  give  him  any  informa- 
tion till  you  got  here  on  the  witness  stand?  A.  Unless 
it  was  the  truth;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  mark  on  this  map  where  you  stood? 
A.  I  believe  I  did. 

Q.  You  marked  that  letter  jj1  on  the  map?  A.  I 
believe  so;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  After  you  had  marked  that  letter  you  erased  it, 
moved  it  down  20  feet,  and  made  another  one,  did  you 
not?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  moved  yourself  down  here  about  20  feet? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  noticed  so  accurately,  at  the  time  this  acci- 
dent so  suddenly  happened,  that  you  were  able  to 
state  within  a  distance  of  20  [  feet  exactly  where  you 
were?  A.  I  did  not  say  exactly;  I  said  near. 

Q.  You  did  say  it  when  you  erased  the  first  letter 
you  made  and  moved  it  down  about  twenty  feet,  did 
you  not?  A.  I  believe  I  was  asked  where  I  was. 

Q.  And  you  first  marked  one  place,  then  erased  it 
and  moved  it  down  a  distance  of  about  20  feet,  did  you 
not?  A.  |  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  were  going,  you  say,  up  the  same  way  that 
the  car  was  going?  A.  The  same  way  that  the  car  was 
going — up  on  the  left-hand  side. 

Q.  The  car  was  coming  from  behind  you?  A.  From 
behind  me;  that  is  right. 


126        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  You  were  on  the  left-hand  side  of  Fulton  Street? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  As  the  car  was  going  and  as  you  ]  were  going? 
A.  That  is  right. 

Q.  So  that  the  car  was  on  your  right-hand  side? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  were  on  the  left-hand  ^ide  of  the  car? 
A.  That  is  right. 

Q.  These  boys  that  you  saw  wrere  in  the  vacant  lot, 
crossing  from  the  opposite  side  of  Fulton  Street  from 
where  you  stood?  A.  I  said  so. 

Q.  They  were  on  the  opposite  side  [j2  of  the  street, 
were  they  not?  A.  I  said  that  two  boys  were  being 
chased  by  a  woman  out  of  a  lot. 

Q.  One  moment;  these  two  boys  were  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  street  from  where  you  were?  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  How  far  back  in  the  vacant  lot?  A.  I  should 
judge  about  twenty  feet. 

Q.  And  you  noticed  exactly  what  happened?  A. 
A  woman  chasing  them.  | 

Q.  You  noticed  exactly  what  part  of  the  vacant  lot 
they  were  in?  A.  No,  I  could  not  say  that. 

Q.  Well,  did  you  notice  what  part  of  the  vacant  lot 
they  were  in;  you  said  that  they  were  20  feet  back 
from  the  sidewalk?  A.  I  said  about  20  feet  back  in  the 
lot;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Then  you  did  notice  just  where  they  were?  A. 
Why,  certainly. 

Q.  [  I  suppose  you  refused  to  tell  Mr.  Duncan  that 
before  you  went  on  the  witness  stand?  A.  I  did  not 
tell  him  anything. 

Q.  You  did  not  tell  him  anything?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  This  boy,  as  he  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  side- 


1911   CONTEST  127 

walk,  was  about,  a  foot  from  a  pole,that  was  erected 
there?  A.  Yes;  not  a  pole,  an  elevated  post. 

Q.  An  elevated  pillar?    A.  Yes,  [  sir. 

Q.  The  car  was  down  here  at  that  time  on  the  track 
where  you  say  you  have  marked  the  letter?  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  And  the  pole  was  about  here,  where  you  have 
marked?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  were  over  here  where  you  have  marked 
this  letter?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  That  brought  this  elevated  pole  right  square 
between  the  motorman  of  this  car  and  this  boy,  jj3  as 
he  stood  there,  did  it  not?  A.  No,  because  the  boy  had 
started  to  run. 

Q.  Before  the  boy  had  started  to  run,  the  elevated 
railroad  pillar  was  squarely  between  him  and  the 
motorman,  was  it  not?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  As  you  have  marked  it  here?  A.  I  said  where  the 
boy  was  at  that  time. 

Q.  Before  he  started  to  run,  the  elevated  railroad 
pillar  was  between  [  him  and  this  approaching  car 
was  it  not?  A.  That  is  right. 

Q.  Which  did  you  see  first,  the  boy  or  the  car?  A. 
I  saw  the  boy  first. 

Q.  He  was  standing  still  there?  A.  Standing  still; 
yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  was  the  next  thing  that  attracted  your 
attention?  A.  The  next  thing  that  attracted  my  atten- 
tion was  that  the  boy  was  under  the  car. 

Q.  That  was  the  J  next  thing  that  attracted  your 
attention?  A.  The  boy  started  to  run  across  the  street. 

Q.  You  say  the  next  thing  that  attracted  your  atten- 
tion was  that  the  boy  was  under  the  car,  and  that  is 
all  you  really  saw  of  this  accident,  was  it  not?  A.  No. 


128        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Why  did  you  say,  when  I  asked  you  what  was 
the  next  thing  you  saw,  that  the  boy  was  under  the  ] 
car,  if  that  was  not  the  first  thing  you  saw?  A.  That 
was  an  error,  if  I  said  it. 

Q.  You  say  that  before  this  boy  started  to  run,  you 
heard  a  shout?  A.  I  heard  a  shout  from  the  boys  to 
look  out. 

Q.  What  was  there  to  look  out  for?  A.  I  suppose 
to  look  out  for  the  woman  that  was  chasing  them. 

Q.  What  did  she  havej]4  in  her  hand?  A.  I  could 
not  tell  you  what  it  was;  I  suppose  she  had  some- 
thing. 

Q.  Was  it  a  broom-stick,  or  a  switch?  A.  I  could 
not  tell  you. 

Q.  From  the  tone  of  voice  of  these  boys  you^ judged 
that  they  wanted  to  look  out  pretty  sharp  for  her,  did 
you  not?  A.  Yes,  sir;  I  don't  know  what  the  trouble 
was;  they  ran  as  though  J  there  was  trouble  behind 
them.  This  little  boy  was  standing  on  the  sidewalk 
behind  the  elevated  railroad  pillar,  evidently  not  taking 
part  in  it,  but  when  there  was  trouble  he  ran,  too. 

Q.  Standing  still?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  When  he  heard  the  shout  he  ran,  too?  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  Fast?    A.  Very  fast. 

Q.  When  a  small  boy  aged  nine  years  sees  a  large 
colored  woman  with  a  \  switch,  and  hears  a  shout  and 
knows  that  there  is  trouble  behind  him,  for  a  short 
distance  that  small  boy  could  run  as  fast  as  a  trolley 
car,  could  he  not?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  have  marked  on  here  a  point  with  the  letter 
where  the  boy  and  car  came  together?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  On  the  track?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  that  shows  that  the  small  boy  ran  ]   just 


1911   CONTEST  129 

about  20  feet  diagonally  toward  this  car,  does  it  not? 
A.  Towards  the  street. 

Q.  Towards  the  car,  did  he  not?  A.  He  did  not  run 
towards  the  car;  he  wanted  to  get  away  from  the  car. 

Q.  You  had  marked  here  with  a  letter  where  he  stood 
before  he  started  to  run?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  have  marked  with  a  letter  where  the 
car  was?  A.  \\'0  Yes,  sir.  (1400  words) 


1912  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(New  York) 

150  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.65 

Broadly  speaking,  all  life  insurance  is  constructive. 
The  great  network  of  its  beneficent  system  stretches 
out  so  endlessly  that  to  chronicle  all  that  it  accomplishes 
would  be  a  difficult  task. 

With  less  than  a  century  behind  {  it,  legal  reserve 
American  life  insurance  has  builded  well  and  laid  foun- 
dations which  must  endure.  Its  correlative  interests 
form  a  steady  bulwark  both  in  times  of  family  want 
and  of  financial  stress. 

Inventive  genius  and  the  keen  edge  I  of  competition, 
combined  with  the  requirements  of  legislation,  have 
resulted  in  many  and  diverse  forms  of  life  insurance 
indemnity,  and  yet  we  are  not  at  the  end  of  our  effort 
or  of  attainment;  we  are  just  on  \  the  threshold,  ready 
to  step  forth  and  use  this  great  force  for  the  benefit  of 
humanity  in  ways  more  varied  and  effective  than  were 
ever  dreamed  of. 

The  eminent  architect  who  rears  great  piles  of  stone 
and  mortar,  \\l  and  the  masters  who  come  nearest 
portraying  human  emotions  on  canvas,  are  greeted 
with  loud  acclaim,  yet  their  inanimate  productions 
suffer  in  comparison  with  life  insurance,  which  makes 
character,  warms  the  soul  and  molds  the  heart  to  [ 
its  fullness  and  makes  real  men. 

130 


1912  CONTEST  131 

Human  nature  is  an  infinitely  improvable  substance. 
A  marble  bowlder  may  be  shaped  into  exquisite  statu- 
ary, and  common  sand  into  stained  glass  windows,  but 
is  there  any  limit  to  manbuilding?  Not  when  {  there 
is  a  great  motive  that  connects  the  individual  with 
humanity's  interests.  A  great  motive  makes  a  man 
shine  like  a  lamp  within  a  porcelain  vase.  Likewise, 
constructive  life  insurance  becomes  a  great  cause  by 
which  we  j  can  make  much  of  ourselves. 

The  truth  of  life  insurance  on  the  part  of  those 
engaged  in  it  is:  An  honorable,  uplifting,  absorbing 
lifework,  rather  than  a  struggle  for  existence;  a  busi- 
ness demanding  optimism  in  large  chunks;  a  U2  belief 
in  the  future;  the  power  to  stir  the  buying  impulse  in 
the  individual,  adding  atoms  to  the  co-operative  melting 
pot  and  acting  as  a  modern  doctor  to  prevent  poverty 
from  infecting  the  masses.  Eminent  thinkers  today  I 
look  forward  to  the  time  when  medicine  will  become 
solely  preventive  instead  of  curative.  Life  insurance 
is  essentially  a  preventive  force.  It  takes  courage  and 
spirit  to  overcome  the  easy  neglect  of  a  vital  duty. 

When  a  policy  {  is  purchased,  moralizing  gives  way 
to  real  action.  Thus  life  insurance  is  not  passive,  but 
active  in  helping  to  maintain  those  standards  of  life 
on  which,  after  all,  the  whole  fabric  of  society  rests. 

Science  protests,  trumpet-  j  tongued,  against  every 
form  of  waste,  and  in  contradistinction  to  the  thrift  of 
the  French  peasant  the  American  dollar  waste,  the 
American  food  waste,  and  American  life  waste  are 
astounding.  The  movement  here  for  the  conserva- 
tion of  our  ||3  natural  and  national  resources  is  but  of 
recent  origin,  and  before  this  movement  can  reach 
efficiency  the  American  conscience  must  be  awakened 
to  the  fullest  sense  of  its  responsibilities. 


132        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

We  are,  however,  gradually  forming  a  new  national  [ 
character,  and  municipalities  are  realizing  that  good 
citizens  are  the  best  assets;  more  important  than 
increasing  bank  clearings.  In  one  city  systematic 
co-operation  is  being  exerted  to,  first  of  all,  give  chil- 
dren a  chance  to  be  born  right,  |  through  the  precarious 
years  of  infancy,  that  they  may  start  right  in  the  game 
of  life.  This  intelligent  movement  by  various  life 
companies  and  associations  toward  lessening  life  waste, 
shows  that  shortened  lives  are  no  longer  to  j  be  accepted 
as  a  matter  of  course,  but  are  recognized  as  results  of 
tendencies  which  are  subject  to  improvement,  if  not 
control. 

Constructive  life  insurance  is  a  most  potent  force  in 
attaining  these  desirable  ends,  because  it  is  [[4  cumu- 
lative and  constant  in  its  influence.  It  focuses  and 
makes  a  tangible  thing  out  of  good  intentions.  It 
unconsciously  makes  one  less  susceptible  to  the  insid- 
ious temptations  of  luxury.  It  is  a  capitalization  of 
thrift.  It  preserves  \  in  cashable  shape  man's  earning 
power.  It  means  sowing  seeds  of  sacrifice  which  grow 
to  fruition  in  happy  self-satisfaction.  The  wheels  of 
industrial  progress  and  the  arteries  of  commerce  are 
recipients  of  its  power.  It  is  a  \  balance-wheel  which 
lessens  life  waste  and  encourages  mental  poise  through 
contentment  and  systematic  saving.  Beyond  all 
pecuniary  aspects,  it  has  a  greater  civilizing  and  uplift- 
ing effect  on  the  race  than  any  other  single  force. 

Some  of  |  our  richest  men  are  seeking  permissive 
legislation  for  the  purpose  of  distributing  millions  of 
dollars  to  elevate  mankind.  How  fortunate  we  are  to 
possess  sound  life  insurance  as  a  vehicle,  not  only  for 
this  but  for  other  things.  J]5  (750  words) 


1912  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(New  York) 

175  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.47 

Mr.  Chairman,  His  Honor,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen, 
and  especially  the  members  of  the  National  Associa- 
tion of  Stationary  Engineers  of  the  great  commonwealth 
of  the  State  of  Ohio : 

We  have  listened  to  the  remarks  of  the  representative 
of  this  city  and  of  the  Progressive  [  Association  of  this 
delightful  city.  This  organization  itself  comes  from  a 
spirit  of  progression,  and  its  symbol,  if  you  please,  is 
before  us,  which  is  "  Liberty,  Fraternity,  Equality,  and 
Progress."  And  with  those  sentiments  we  are  strong. 
We  have  demonstrated,  through  the  periods  of  [  the 
last  thirty  years,  the  truthfulness  of  those  remarks. 
Thirty  years  ago  when  this  organization  was  born  I 
well  remember,  and  as  is  the  case  with  many  of  those 
whose  hairs  are  now  turning  gray  with  the  snows  of 
many  winters,  that  the  engineer  \  was  not  the  most 
progressive  man  in  this  country.  He  had  not  given 
the  thought  to  the  science  of  steam  engineering  and 
that  artful  progress  which  has  since  been  given  it,  due 
to  the  animation  and  the  inspiration,  if  you  please, 
that  has  been  j}1  born  into  them  by  the  lessons  taught 
and  the  objects  that  have  been  instilled  into  their 

133 


134        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

minds  during  the  period  that  has  been  passing.  I 
remember  well  in  those  days  that  the  instrument  known 
as  a  steam-engine  indicator,  one  of  the  tell  j  -tales  of 
the  internal  workings  of  the  steam  engine,  was  known 
to  but  very  few  and  the  profession  of  steam  engineering 
was  dark  indeed  upon  its  actual  uses  and  its  actual 
worth.  There  was  a  time  in  those  days  when  a  man 
who  could  I  not  use  that  instrument,  which  tells  the 
story  of  what  is  being  done  within  and  without  the 
steam  boiler,  was  looked  upon  as  an  expert,  wise  indeed 
in  the  estimation  of  his  fellows.  But  the  lamp  that 
has  been  lighted  up  through  the  progress  j  of  this  body 
and  the  inspiration  born  of  its  work  and  its  service  in 
the  welfare  of  the  engineering  craft,  has  made  it  today 
an  instrument  so  familiar,  so  useful  that  no  engineer 
feels  well  equipped  or  feels  that  he  is  what  he  claims  jj2 
to  be  unless  he  <;an  read  the  writing,  as  it  is  impressed 
upon  the  indicator,  which  will  tell  the  story  of  the 
economical  or  the  uneconomical  working  of  his  steam 
engine. 

My  friends,  during  those  twenty-five  or  thirty  years 
that  have  passed  [  there  have  been  wonders  unfolded 
to  the  craft  which  in  those  days  we  did  not  even  dream 
of.  But  the  light  of  progress  has  been  shining  upon  us 
and  upon  the  world  from  every  side  and  from  every 
angle  until  now  we  are  compelled  [  to  drink  in  more  and 
more  the  science  and  art  of  steam  engineering,  which 
makes  us  strong  and  makes  us  join,  if  you  please,  the 
rank  of  the  professional  man. 

It  is  a  fact  today,  my  friends,  that  the  mechanical 
engineer — and  I  trust  j  our  friend,  the  professor  from 
some  school  near  here  which  is,  I  understand,  of  a 
technical  character,  will  not  take  umbrage  because  I 
say  this — it  is  a  fact  that  the  stationary  engineer  today 


1912  CONTEST  135 

is  a  man  of  power.  He  becomes  the  ally  of  |{3  the 
mechanical  engineer  in  a  sense  far  different  than  was 
the  case  twenty-five  years  ago  when,  as  our  friend  and 
brother  has  stated,  he  was  a  creature  of  drudgery. 
Today  he  is  a  creature  of  power  and  is  becoming  more 
and  more  {  so  day  by  day;  and  it  only  rests  within  his 
hands  and  within  himself  and  with  this  body  as  a  unit 
as  to  whether  he  shall  become  stronger  and  stronger 
and  more  influential  in  every  line  and  department  of 
industry.  And  what  I  intended  |  to  say  was  this,  in 
addition,  that  the  engineer  in  the  steam  plant  becomes 
a  powerful  ally  of  the  mechanical  engineer;  and  what 
I  did  not  wish  to  have  the  professor  take  umbrage  or 
offense  at  because  of  my  remarks,  was  this :  the  mechan- 
ical I  engineer,  the  one  within  the  portals  of  the  mechan- 
ical school,  probably  leaves  the  high  school  of  our 
state  and  enters  the  walls  of  the  mechanical  school  or 
technical  school;  he  is  drinking  in  the  theory  of  the 
art  and  science  of  steam  engineering;  and  I|4  he  well 
knows,  and  so  do  we,  as  an  educational  and  progressive 
institution,  that  theory  is  a  mighty  engine  for  good 
and  that  theory  will  go  hand  and  hand  with  practice; 
and  when  theory  diverts  from  practice,  then  the 
mechanical  engineer  is  in  \  the  brush  and  he  is  glad  to 
appeal  to  the  man  whose  years  of  life  have  been  spent 
up  against  hard  knocks,  drinking  in  the  facts  from  rough 
experience;  and  so,  the  mechanical  engineer,  I  say, 
has  found  an  ally  in  the  up-to-j  date  steam  engineer 
for  the  steam  engineer  knows  from  experience,  the 
mechanical  engineer  knows  only  from  theory.  And 
while,  as  I  said,  theory  is  a  mighty  engineer,  theory 
jean  do  nothing  except  when  practice  puts  its  hand  out 
and  joins  theory  in  its  work  J  and  onward  progress. 
And  so  today  the  wise  mechanical  engineer,  when 


136        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

employed  to  consult  or  to  execute  certain  new  work 
in  the  way  of  steam  engineering,  whether  it  be  elec- 
trical, refrigeration,  or  otherwise,  is  wise  enough  not 
to  make  any  very  strenuous  breaks  without  |J5  he 
first  .  .  .  (875  words) 


1912  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(New  York) 

200  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.41 

Let  me  begin,  then,  with  the  idea  that  all  mankind 
are  naturally  lazy.  There  are  probably  some  men  in 
this  world  who  really  love  to  work  for  work's  sake,  as 
there  are  also  some  men  in  the  world  who  have  a  fond- 
ness for  tobacco  or  pickled  olives,  having  acquired  a  [ 
taste  for  those  articles,  but,  as  a  rule,  men  work  because 
they  are  obliged  to  do  so  to  obtain  the  necessaries  of 
life  or  because  they  desire  to  obtain  wealth  or  for  some 
other  desirable  good.  I  do  not  suppose  that  any  con- 
siderable amount  of  stone  fence  was  ever  laid  [  for  the 
mere  fun  of  it,  or  that  the  boy  lives  who  prefers  raking 
after  a  cart  in  haying  time  to  flying  a  kite.  The  major- 
ity of  men  labor  because  they  find  it  a  lesser  evil  than 
that  from  which  it  relieves  them. 

And  what  is  labor?  It  is  the  \  price  we  pay  for 
everything  that  is  not  free  and  common  to  all  men. 
We  pay  no  price  for  the  air  we  breathe,  for  it  is  with  us 
and  about  us  everywhere.  We  pay  nothing,  likewise, 
for  the  water  that  bathes  our  faces  and  slakes  our 
thirst;  we  have  but  {{ l  to  go  where  it  is,  and  it  is  every- 
where, and  it  is  ours — we  find  it  bursting  from  the 
ground  in  springs,  leaping  down  cataracts  and  murmur- 

137 


138        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Ing  to  us  in  the  brooks,  or  spreading  itself  out  in  broad 
lakes,  rivers  and  oceans;   it  comes  to  us  from  the  sky 
and  (  we  may  catch  it  in  our  hands  if  we  will.    There 
are,  of  course,  special  dispositions  of  both  air  and  water 
which  cost  labor,  but  both  are  intended  to  be  without 
price  and  are  made  free  because  they  are  absolutely 
essential  to  the  preservation  of  life.     It  will  also  be  [ 
found  that  all  articles  of  food  which  are  essential  to  our 
existence  are  cheap;  there  are  a  few  nuts  to  be  had  for 
the  gathering,  a  few  roots  to  be  obtained  for  the  digging, 
a  few  sheep  or  goats  which  will  take  care  of  themselves 
and  from  which  we  may  j  obtain  milk,  meat  and  skins. 
All  these  things  cost  little  or  no  labor,  but  the  moment 
we  pass  beyond  the  simplest  essentials  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  life  we  must  pay  the  full  price  in  labor  for  every 
article  we  obtain;    that  is,  somebody  must  pay.     A 
bushel  of  wheat  represents  jj2  a  certain  amount  of  labor 
in  the  preparation  of  the  soil  for  the  seed,  the  sowing 
and  the  reaping  and  the  transportation.    Every  bushel 
of  wheat  and  every  barrel  of  flour  represents  certain 
processes  of  labor  without  which  it  could  never  have 
been  produced.     Every  ton  of  iron  costs  somebody  ] 
a  certain  price  in  labor,  and  an  ounce  of  gold,  if  it  will 
pay  for  that  ton  of  iron,  costs  somebody  just  as  much 
labor  as  that  ton  of  iron  cost.     All  values  are  based 
upon  labor,  the  labor  they  originally  cost  or  the  labor 
it  would  require  to  duplicate  j  them  or  to  reproduce 
them.    A  necklace  of  diamonds  may  cost  ten  thousand 
dollars  simply  because  it  would  cost  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars, roughly  speaking,  to  duplicate  the  gems  and  the 
.setting,  drawing  them  from  the  original  stock  of  nature. 
There  are  exceptions  to  this  rule  in  the  lucky  strikes 
that  I  are  made  upon  extraordinary  deposits  of  the 
precious  stones  and  metals,  but  in  a  general  way  every- 


1912  CONTEST  139 

thing  costs  its  value  in  labor.  California  makes  no 
more  money  in  digging  gold  than  Illinois  makes  in 
growing  wheat;  Georgia  gets  no  richer  in  producing 
cotton  than  Massachusetts  gets  in  spinning  it.  Nature 
{ j3  has  so  nicely  adjusted  this  basis  of  values  that  intelli- 
gent labor  thrives  as  well  on  the  water  as  on  the  land, 
gets  just  as  much  for  its  pains  in  a  quarry  of  granite  as 
in  a  gold  bearing  piece  of  quartz,  and  finds  equal  profit 
in  working  a  coal  mine  \  and  washing  for  diamonds. 

As  I  look  over  my  audience  I  see  silks  from  China, 
ribbons  from  France,  cloth  from  England  and  gloves 
from  the  foot  of  the  Alps,  the  work  of  thousands  of 
weavers  and  spinners  and  dyers.  All  these  represent 
labor,  the  labor  of  somebody,  and  the  money  I  which 
bought  them  cost  the  labor  of  somebody  else.  The 
purchase  money  may  not  have  cost  you  anything,  but 
it  cost  someone  its  value  in  labor.  There  are  some  of 
you,  possibly,  who  have  never  been  obliged  to  labor, 
and  who  have  earned  nothing  that  you  possess,  but 
someone  has  [  earned  it.  That  wealth  of  yours  was  dug 
out  of  the  ground,  or  drawn  from  the  sea,  and  perhaps 
it  required  ten  thousand  somebodies  to  produce  it; 
it  all  came  through  the  muscles  of  labor. 

The  fact  that  some,  persons  are  richer  than  others 
proves  that  the  labor  of  the  H4  world  is  more  than 
sufficient  for  the  wants  of  the  world.  That  everybody 
lives,  and  that  some  have  wealth  who  produce  nothing, 
shows  that  there  are  various  ways  of  securing  the 
results  of  productive  labor  without  engaging  in  that 
labor.  There  is  a  certain  number  of  men  and  women 
in  {  this  world  who  live  upon  the  labor  of  others,  a 
large  number,  indeed,  aside  from  those  who  are  naturally 
or  necessarily  dependent.  Many  secure  a  share  of 
this  surplus  by  perfectly  legitimate  means,  they  simply 


140        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

take  a  just  contribution  from  it  as  it  passes  through 
their  hands  in  various  commercial  \  transactions,  or 
they  may  fill  some  office  or  perform  some  service  for 
the  producers  and  secure  a  proper  payment  for  their 
work,  but  the  great  strife  of  the  world  is  to  see  how 
much  of  this  labor  of  production  can  be  shirked  and 
how  great  an  amount  of  its  results  I  can  be  secured 
without  paying  the  legitimate  price.  Every  employ- 
ment that  gives  heavy  price  for  light  work,  every 
scheme  of  gain  that  promises  large  rewards  for  little 
labor,  every  profession,  trade  or  calling  that  secures 
the  results  of  productive  toil  without  paying  the  full 
price  for  them  is  filled  to  jj5  overflowing  in  every  com- 
munity. (1000  words) 


1912  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(New  York) 

240  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

JURY  CHARGE 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.40 

Gentlemen  of  the  Jury: 

I  will  say  to  you  on  the  subject  of  the  evidence  before 
going  into  the  law  in  the  case,  that  it  is  for  you  to 
believe  or  disbelieve  the  various  witnesses  as  to  the 
facts.  You  must  look  at  the  witnesses,  you  must  look 
at  their  opportunities  for  judging,  you  must  look  at 
the  way  in  [  which  they  told  their  story,  and  you  must 
consider  whether  they  were  really  recollecting  what 
occurred  at  the  time  or  not,  and  you  must  likewise 
consider  their  interest.  The  plaintiff  has  a  very  mate- 
rial interest  in  this  case.  If  he  gets  a  verdict  it  means 
so  much  money  in  his  pocket,  and  interest  very  often 
colors  our  views  when  we  {  come  to  give  testimony. 
On  the  other  side,  you  will  likewise  consider  the  interest 
of  the  driver  of  the  cab,  as  he  has  been  blamed  for  doing 
something,  and  it  is  for  you  to  say  whether  it  would  be 
to  his  interest  to  shift  the  blame. 

As  to  numbers,  as  I  have  said  to  you  in  other  cases, 
where  you  {  have  a  larger  number  of  witnesses  against 
a  smaller  number  of  witnesses,  you  have  the  power, 
if  you  see  fit,  to  believe  the  smaller  number  and  dismiss 
the  testimony  of  the  larger  number,  but  before  doing 

141 


142        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

that  you  should  give  the  matter  careful  consideration 
and  not  do  so  until  you  have  found  a  satisfactory  reason 
for  dismissing  the  testimony  of  jj1  the  larger  number 
and  accepting  that  of  the  smaller  number.  In  other 
words,  you  must  make  up  your  mind  in  the  case  and 
see  on  which  side  the  scales  fall,  not  necessarily  saying 
the  truth  lies  on  the  side  of  the  larger  number.  As  I 
said,  if  you  feel  that  the  story  of  the  smaller  number  is 
the  true  one,  \  you  have  the  power  to  dismiss  that  of 
the  larger  number.  However,  I  leave  that  entirely  to 
you. 

As  to  the  medical  testimony,  it  is  of  a  different 
quality  entirely.  It  is  what  is  known  as  opinion  testi- 
mony. Very  often  medical  testimony  is  of  great  aid 
in  a  case;  very  often  it  is  of  no  assistance  whatever. 
Where  you  have  [  two  sides  in  a  case  you  have  doctors 
on  both  sides.  If  you  have  seven  sides  to  a  case,  you 
would  probably  find  doctors  on  all  sides,  and  you  would 
probably  have  different  views  from  the  doctors  on  each 
side.  However,  doctors  are  supposed  to  be  men  who 
are  better  able  to  judge  of  such  matters  than  we  are. 
You  [  will  have  to  give  their  testimony  full  considera- 
tion and  make  up  your  mind  whether  it  will  be  of  any 
assistance  to  you.  If  it  will  be  of  any  assistance,  you 
are  to  take  the  opinion  of  the  doctors.  You  are  not 
bound  by  the  opinion  of  any  doctor  in  the  case.  You 
are  to  consider  their  opinions  for  what  you  }j2  think 
they  are  worth,  and  say  which  one  is  worth  the  most 
to  you  and  which  one  the  least,  and  say  how  they 
impressed  you  on  the  stand,  and  make  up  your  mind 
as  to  the  weight  you  will  give  their  testimony.  As  I 
have  already  mentioned,  you  have  had  a  couple  of 
doctors  on  one  side  and  three  doctors  j  on  the  other. 
In  some  particulars  they  agreed  and  in  others  they 


1912  CONTEST  143 

disagreed.  You  will  consider  their  testimony  and  make 
up  your  mind  as  to  where  the  truth  lies  as  to  the  extent 
of  the  plaintiff's  injuries. 

In  considering  the  question  of  his  injuries  you  have 
a  right  to  bring  your  knowledge  of  human  nature  into 
play — your  common  sense.  \  You  are  not  necessarily 
to  be  dazzled  by  large  figures  and  the  plaintiff's  own 
story  of  the  injury  and  the  effect  of  the  injury.  It 
may  strike  you  that  it  would  be  in  accordance  with 
human  nature  for  a  person  claiming  damages  to  put 
his  side  of  the  story  of  the  injury  as  strongly  as 
possible.  Perhaps  that  is  not  j  a  blamable  thing 
because  it  is  a  natural  thing  to  do.  It  may  strike  you 
that  it  is  natural  to  do  that.  If  you  think  that  such  a 
natural  human  instinct  has  played  a  part  in  this  case 
and  that  Mr.  Smith  imagines  he  is  very  much  worse 
hurt  than  he  really  is,  or  if  you  think  there  is  any  jja 
exaggeration  of  his  injuries,  you  have  the  right  to  dis- 
count the  extent  of  the  exaggeration  or  imagination 
as  you  may,  in  the  use  of  your  good  sense,  think  proper. 
However,  it  may  be  that  it  impresses  you  the  other  way 
and  you  believe  that  the  injuries  are  just  as  he  detailed 
them.  I  leave  that  entirely  to  you. 

As  to  I  the  accident,  it  is  a  clear  question  of  fact. 
Did  it  occur  as  the  plaintiff  says  it  occurred  and  as 
his  numerous  witnesses  say  it  occurred,  or  did  it  occur 
as  the  drivers  say  it  occurred?  You  must  make  up  your 
mind  as  to  that.  If  you  believe  it  occurred  as  the 
plaintiff  says  it  occurred,  then  you  must  make  I  up 
your  mind  as  to  the  extent  of  the  damages.  If  you 
decide  to  give  the  plaintiff  a  verdict,  if  you  think  there 
was  negligence  on  the  part  of  the  defendant's  driver 
and  that  there  was  no  negligence  on  the  part  of  the 
plaintiff,  it  will  be  for  you  to  say  how  much  your  ver- 


144        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

diet  will  be.  In  such  an  ]  event,  he  is  entitled  to  recover 
for  his  pain  and  suffering,  to  start  with.  I  cannot  give 
you  any  exact  standard  as  to  that,  except  to  say  that 
reasonable  compensation  is  the  standard  you  are  to 
take,  based  on  the  real  facts  as  proven  to  exist.  You 
have  heard  the  plaintiffs  description  of  his  pain  and 
suffering  and  you  have  [J4  heard  the  doctor's  testimony 
on  each  side,  and,  if  you  find  for  the  plaintiff,  you  are 
to  make  up  your  mind  as  to  what  the  pain  and  suffer- 
ing and  injuries  were  and  give  him  a  verdict  that  you 
believe  will  be  reasonable  compensation.  In  addition 
to  that,  he  would  be  entitled  to  recover  for  the  actual 
expenses  that  he  has  \  been  put  to  and  which  you  think 
he  will  be  put  to  due  to  the  accident — medical  expenses 
and  otherwise  directly  attributable  to  the  accident. 
He  would  also  be  entitled  to  recover  any  losses  that  he 
has  been  obliged  to  suffer  in  the  way  of  extra  help  that 
he  has  been  compelled  to  employ  in  his  business,  and 
the  loss  I  of  commissions,  if  you  believe  that  he  was 
earning  such  an  amount  as  he  says  in  the  commission 
business,  and  that  he  was  deprived  entirely  of  those 
earnings  through  the  accident,  and  that  his  ability  to 
go  on  with  that  business  was  taken  away  from  him 
entirely.  You  would  have  the  right  to  allow  whatever 
you  think  that  sum  may  [  be,  as  well  as  the  wages  that 
he  has  paid  out.  But  before  you  do  that,  you  are  not 
necessarily  bound  to  say,  even  if  you  give  him  a  verdict, 
"He  says  this  and  therefore  this  must  be  the  figure." 
Not  at  all.  The  same  element  of  human  nature  enters 
into  that  testimony  as  into  any  other  testimony.  I 
do  ||5  not  say  that  it  has  influenced  this  particular 
testimony,  but  it  may  have.  (1200  words) 


1912  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(New  York) 

280  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

TESTIMONY 

Syllable  Intensity: 
With  Q's  and  A's      •     1.26 
Without  Q's  and  A's      1.12 
Number  of  Q's  and  A's  114 

Q.  Do  you  remember  the  18th  of  July,  1906?  A. 
Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  were  you  working,  if  you  were  working  on 
that  day?  A.  In  the  shop. 

Q.  Whom  were  you  working  for?  A.  I  was  working 
for  the  American  Bridge  Company. 

Q.  What  happened  to  you  on  that  day?  A.  A  big 
piece  of  iron,  a  column  of  iron,  fell  on  my  foot  and 
mashed  it.  1 

Q.  Which  foot  was  it?    A.  The  right  foot. 

Q.  WTiere  were  you  when  this  iron  fell  on  you? 
A.  I  was  in  a  car. 

Q.  Where  was  the  car?  A.  The  car  was  on  the  track 
near  the  wall. 

Q.  Was  the  car  outside  or  inside  of  the  building? 
A.  Inside. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  building  that  was  that  the 
car  was  in?  A.  It  belonged  to  their  j  shop. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  the  name  of  the  shop  was? 

A.  The  West  Branch  shop. 

145 


146        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  The  shop  was  located  at  West  Branch;  but  do 
you  know  what  the  shop  was  called?  A.  I  do  not  know 
what  the  name  of  the  shop  was,  but  I  know  the  car  was 
on  the  track  near  the  wall. 

Q.  What  company  used  the  shop?  A.  The  American 
Bridge  Company. 

Q.  I  What  were  you  doing  on  the  car  at  the  time 
this  iron  fell  on  you?  A.  I  was  on  my  knee  stooped 
down,  and  was  painting  a  piece  of  iron  that  was  on  the 
car. 

Q.  What  knee  were  you  resting  your  body  on?  A. 
On  the  left  knee. 

Q.  You  were  stooping  down,  resting  your  body  on 
your  left  knee?  A.  Yes,  sir;  and  then  I  was  painting 
with  II1  my  right  hand. 

Q.  How  were  you  facing  when  you  were  painting  that 
column  on  the  car?  A.  I  was  looking  towards  the  wall. 

Q.  Was  the  column  you  were  painting  nearest 
towards  the  wall  or  farthest  from  the  wall  on  the  car? 
A.  It  was  nearer  the  wall. 

Q.  Who  was  it,  if  you  know,  that  directed  you  to 
get  on  that  car  to  paint?  A.  I  do  not  ]  know,  but  they 
called  him  "Big  Boss"  out  there. 

Q.  Was  it  Mr.  Brown,  the  man  who  is  standing  out 
there?  A.  That  is  the  man. 

Q.  When  you  say  "big  boss,"  you  do  not  mean  the 
size  of  the  man,  do  you?  A.  No,  sir;  I  meant  because 
he  had  the  gang  under  him. 

Q.  In  what  way  did  he  order  you  to  get  on  that  car? 
I  A.  He  [  got  hold  of  my  arm  and  took  me  on  the  car. 

Q.  He  led  you  on  the  car  himself?  A.  He  got  hold 
of  me  by  the  arm  and  told  me  to  go  on  the  car,  and 
then  he  showed  me  how  to  paint. 

Q.  Did  you  understand  anything  that  he  said  to 


1912   CONTEST  147 

you?  A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not  understand  what  he  said, 
but  I  knew  what  I  had  ]  to  do  by  the  way  he  made 
the  motions. 

Q.  You  understood  the  motions  he  made?  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  Did  he  get  on  the  car  with  you,  or  did  he  stop 
and  point  for  you  to  go  on?  A.  No,  sir;  he  told  me. 
He  said  go  and  paint  that,  because  this  big  piece  of 
iron  was  painted  already,  but  there  was  a  couple  of 
pieces  there  that  was  jj*  not  painted,  and  he  told  me  to 
do  that. 

Q.  Did  he  tell  you  that  in  words  or  did  he  tell  you 
that  in  signs?  A.  No,  sir;  he  made  motions  with  his 
hands. 

Q.  Had  you  ever  done  work  of  that  kind  before  in 
your  life?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Before  you  went  to  the  Bridge  Company,  had  you 
ever  worked  at  painting  on  columns  or  painting  on 
cars?  I  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  What  kind  of  work,  if  you  know,  did  you  do? 
A.  I  worked  with  pick  and  shovel,  digging  ditches  and 
cellars  and  things  like  that. 

Q.  When  you  first  went  with  the  Bridge  Company 
at  West  Branch,  what  kind  of  work  was  given  to  you 
to  do,  and  who  was  the  foreman  over  you?  A.  When  I 
first  went  there  my  boss  was  Mr.  Baker. 

Q.    j  Do  you  mean  this  man?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  digging  ditches  for  him?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  before  this  accident  happened  to  you 
were  you  taken  away  from  digging  ditches  and  ordered 
to  do  something  else?  A.  I  do  not  remember  exactly. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  how  many  days  it  was  before 
you  were  hurt  that  you  were  taken  from  ditch  digging 
and  put  on  j  painting?  A.  Three  or  four  days. 


148        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Who  first  put  you  to  work  painting?  A.  Mr. 
Baker. 

Q.  Where  did  you  do  this  painting?  A.  In  the  yard. 
I  was  painting  on  small  pieces  of  iron  then. 

Q.  How  many  days,  if  you  remember,  were  you 
working  in  the  yard  before  the  accident?  A.  I  cannot 
say,  because  we  sometimes  worked  outside,  and  then 
sometimes  we  would  go  inside. 

Q.  II3  If  you  know,  who  took  you  from  the  painting 
work  in  the  yard  into  the  shop?  A.  It  was  an  Ameri- 
can fellow  there;  I  do  not  know  his  name.  He  used 
to  be  a  second  boss.  He  got  hold  of  me  by  the  arm  and 
took  me  inside. 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  if  either  of  these  two  men 
standing  here  is  the  one  who  took  you  into  the  shop? 
A.  [  No,  sir;  I  do  not. 

Q.  But  it  was  some  foreman  or  boss  that  took  you 
from  the  yard  where  you  were  painting  into  the  shop 
the  first  time?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  kind  of  work  did  he  make  you  do  in  there? 
A.  The  same  work,  painting  small  pieces. 

Q.  Did  you  stay  in  the  shop  all  the  time,  or  part  of 
the  time  in  the  shop  and  part  [  of  the  time  in  the  yard, 
before  the  accident?  A.  I  was  in  and  out. 

Q.  On  the  morning  of  the  accident  you  were  in  the 
shop,  were  you,  before  being  ordered  to  go  on  the  car? 
A.  I  was  working  inside. 

Q.  And  you  had  been  taken  in  there  by  a  boss  or 
foreman?  A.  He  was  an  old  man;  he  was  mixing  a  big 
stock  of  paint  in  [  the  shanty. 

Q.  He  was  the  one  who  directed  you  to  go  in?  A. 
Yes,  sir;  he  got  me  by  the  arm  and  took  me  inside. 

Q.  How  long  was  it,  if  you  remember,  after  you  got 
in  the  shop  that  morning  before  you  were  ordered  to 


1912  CONTEST  149 

go  on  the  car?  A.  I  do  not  know;  I  do  not  remember. 
But  he  said  to  me  to  go  after  some  paint  JJ4  in  the 
shanty,  and  when  I  came  back  with  a  can  full  of  paint, 
then  he  told  me  to  go  on  this  car  and  paint. 

Q.  Who  told  you?    A.  The  big  boss. 

Q.  Brown?    A.  Yes;   Brown. 

Q.  Before  you  went  on  that  car,  what  instructions,  if 
any,  outside  of  what  you  have  already  told  us,  were  given 
to  you  about  what  do  do?  A.  No  instructions  at  all.  I 

Q.  Before  you  went  on  that  car  that  morning,  what 
warning,  if  any,  did  you  receive  in  regard  to  danger 
connected  with  the  work?  A.  Not  any. 

Q.  You  received  no  warning?    A.  No  warning. 

Q.  What  knowledge  had  you,  if  any,  that  the  car 
was  to  be  loaded  while  you  were  painting  the  column? 
A.  I  did  not  have  any. 

Q.  You  say  you  did  not  have  any  knowledge?  j  A. 
No  knowledge  at  all. 

Q.  What,  if  anything,  was  there  on  the  car  while 
you  were  painting  the  column,  to  indicate  any  risk  or 
danger?  A.  There  was  nothing  there  to  show  any 
danger. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  know  that  there  was  any 
danger?  A.  I  knew  the  danger  after  the  piece  of  iron 
fell  on  my  foot. 

Q.  While  you  were  painting  the  first  column,  from 
what  I  directions,  if  you  remember,  did  the  second 
column  come  from  the  car?  A.  I  cannot  say.  I  do 
not  know  which  way  it  came,  because  I  was  painting 
looking  towards  the  wall,  and  I  got  my  foot  caught  and 
had  a  whole  lot  of  pain,  and  I  do  not  know  anything  at 
all  about  it  after  that. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  see  the  second  column?  A. 
I  saw  it  j{5  when  it  was  on  my  foot.  (1400  words) 


1913  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Chicago) 

150  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.49 

"Commissions  and  boards,  boards  and  commissions 
till  you  can't  rest,"  said  a  taxpayer  of  the  state  the 
other  day  as  he  came  into  the  capitol  building  and 
noticed  that  the  revenue  and  taxation  commission 
created  by  the  |  late  legislature  had  just  organized  for 
business.  "  Where  will  it  all  end?  Seems  as  if  the  law- 
makers create  a  new  office  or  two  every  session,  whether 
there  is  any  demand  or  not.  That's  where  the  money 
goes,"  he  ]  added  with  a  shake  of  his  head. 

But  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  state  the 
new  department  has  been  given  a  two  years'  lease  on 
life  in  order  that  it  may  come  into  ]  almost  direct 
contact  with  the  pocketbooks  of  a  large  percentage  of 
the  people.  Hence  it  is  an  exceedingly  important  ques- 
tion to  the  owners  of  the  pocketbooks  whether  the  tax 
commission,  after  all  its  investigation  and  research, 
recommends  enactment  jj1  of  laws  that  will  require 
deeper  and  more  frequent  delving  into  the  leather 
pouches  or  whether  it  suggests  for  passage  methods 
whereby  the  citizens'  donations  to  the  operating 
expenses  of  the  various  subdivisions  will  be  less  fre- 
quent [  and  greatly  reduced  in  amount. 

150 


1913   CONTEST  151 

At  first  sweep  of  the  field,  it  is  obvious  that  there  is 
scarcely  any  limit  to  the  things  that  could  be  under- 
taken. The  present  laws  governing  revenues  and  tax- 
ation matters  are  defective  and  I  could  be  changed 
in  a  multitude  of  ways.  But  the  commission  must 
take  into  consideration  the  effects  of  the  likely  whole- 
sale slaughter  of  the  old  enactments  and  the  disastrous 
result  that  might  follow  the  sudden  change  to  j  radi- 
cally different  ways  of  gathering  shekels  into  the  public 
treasury. 

First  complaint  from  those  over  the  state  who  have 
had  to  do  with  the  present  taxation  methods  is  that 
the  machinery  is  sadly  defective  and  that  the  greatest 
U2  trouble  comes  from  the  men  who  are  chosen  in  the 
various  precincts  and  counties  to  carry  out  the  lawas  they 
read  it  in  the  big  books.  From  one  corner  of  the  state 
comes  the  complaint  that  \  the  assessors  are  too  arbi- 
trary in  making  their  valuations  and  that  they  favor 
someone  here  or  there  who  is  a  particular  friend  or  who 
has  assisted  them  in  procuring  the  office.  From  another 
section  comes  the  objection  that  |  they  do  not  make 
energetic  efforts  to  unearth  all  the  property  possessed 
by  the  more  opulent  taxpayers.  Still  another  objection 
is  raised  that  they  do  not  have  any  fixed  method  by 
which  they  do  their  work  and  j  that  after  all  the  figures 
turned  in  by  them  are  as  much  guesswork  as  anything 
else. 

That  about  hits  the  nail  on  the  head.  Assessors  have 
been  produced  undoubtedly  over  the  state  who  did 
their  full  duty,  but  H3  the  fact  that  they  did  so  was 
responsible  likely  for  their  retirement  to  the  fold  of 
the  has-beens. 

There  is  the  cry  coming  from  the  richer  farming 
counties  of  the  state  that  retired  farmers  who  are  1 


152        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

moving  to  towns  to  spend  their  declining  days  are  not 
keeping  their  places  as  well  improved  as  they  did  when 
they  themselves  worked  them.  That  is  true.  Land 
wholly  void  of  improvements  is  renting  over  the  state 
for  ]  practically  the  same  as  land  adorned  with  the 
modern  house,  enormous  barns  and  capacious  granaries. 
Hence  the  state  imposes  a  tax  on  thrift  and  industry 
of  the  farmers  in  keeping  up  their  places.  It  is  easier 
not  [  to  keep  things  up  than  it  is  to  pay  the  increased 
tax  and  it  follows  then  that  the  deterioration  has  become 
so  marked  in  the  past  five  years  as  to  be  a  common 
talking  point  out  in  the  [[ 4  state.  Some  suggest  abolish- 
ment of  the  tax  on  farm  improvements  as  a  remedy  for 
this  condition.  Others  suggest  assessment  upon  a 
lower  basis.  The  remedy  to  be  offered  to  the  lawmakers 
of  the  next  session  will  be  \  recommended  by  the  tax 
commission  after  every  side  of  the  proposition  has 
been  heard  and  after  every  point  has  been  weighed 
carefully  by  the  members. 

For  years  past,  the  inequality  of  real  estate  assess- 
ment has  been  the  subject  j  of  street  banter,  and  court 
house  jest.  There  appeared  to  be  no  uniformity  in 
the  methods  employed  by  the  assessors,  no  agreement 
between  them  even  upon  the  same  property  that  they 
might  choose  to  practice  upon.  Some  j  assessors  used 
the  sale  price  for  determining  the  cost  of  land,  others  set 
down  an  arbitrary  figure,  and  others  looked  wisely  at 
the  ground  and  then  put  down  an  estimate  that  could 
have  been  graced  with  the  appellation  [j5  "guess." 
(750  words) 


1913  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Chicago) 

175  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.30 

His  name  was  Riley,  and  although  his  parents  had 
called  him  Thomas,  to  the  boys  he  had  always  been 
"Dennis,"  and  by  the  time  he  had  reached  his  senior 
year  in  college  he  was  quite  ready  to  admit  that  his 
"name  was  Dennis"  [  with  all  that  slang  implied. 
He  had  tried  for  several  things,  athletics  particularly, 
and  been  substitute  on  the  ball  nine,  one  of  the  immor- 
tal second  eleven  backs  of  the  football  squad,  and  at 
one  time  had  been  looked  upon  as  promising  material 
for  a  I  mile  runner  on  the  track  team. 

But  it  was  always  his  luck  not  quite  to  make  any- 
thing. He  could  not  bat  up  to  varsity  standard,  he 
was  not  quite  heavy  enough  for  a  varsity  back,  and  in 
the  mile  run  he  always  came  in  [  fresh  enough  but  could 
not  seem  to  get  his  speed  up  so  as  to  run  himself  out, 
and  the  result  was  that  although  he  finished  strong 
and  with  lots  of  running  in  him,  the  other  fellows 
always  reached  the  tape  first,  even  though  just  j]1 
barely  getting  over  and  thoroughly  exhausted. 

Now  "Dennis"  had  made  up  his  mind  at  Christmas 
time  that  he  actually  would  have  one  more  trial  on  the 
track,  and  that  his  family,  consisting  of  his  mother  and 
a  younger  brother,  both  of  them  great  j  believers  in 

153 


154        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

and  very  proud  of  Thomas,  should  yet  see  him  possessed 
of  a  long-coveted  "Y." 

So  he  went  out  with  the  first  candidates  in  the  spring, 
and  the  addition  of  the  two-mile  event  to  the  pro- 
gram of  track  contests  gave  him  j  a  distance  better 
suited  to  his  endurance.  There  were  a  half-dozen  other 
men  running  in  his  squad,  and  Dennis,  from  his  former 
failures,  was  not  looked  upon  with  much  favor,  or  as  a 
very  likely  man.  But  he  kept  at  it.  When  the  ]  first 
reduction  of  the  squad  was  made,  someone  said, 
''Denny's  kept  on  just  to  pound  the  track."  With  the 
middle  of  March  came  some  class  games,  and  Dennis 
was  among  the  "also  rans,"  getting  no  better  than 
fourth  place  in  the  two-mile.  The  j{2  worst  of  it  was 
that  he  knew  he  could  have  run  it  faster,  for  he  felt 
strong  at  the  finish,  but  had  no  burst  of  speed  when  the 
others  went  up  on  the  last  lap.  But  in  April  he  did 
better,  and  it  {  soon  developed  that  he  was  improving. 
The  week  before  the  Yale-Harvard  games  he  was  noti- 
fied that  he  was  to  run  in  the  two-mile  as  pacemaker  to 
Lang  and  Early,  the  two  best  distance  men  on  the 
squad.  Nobody  believed  that  Yale  would  [  win  this 
event,  although  it  was  understood  that  Lang  stood  a 
fair  chance  if  Dennis  and  Early  could  carry  the  Harvard 
crack,  Richards,  along  at  a  fast  gait  for  the  first  mile. 

So  it  was  all  arranged  that  Early  should  set  the 
pace  for  [  the  first  half  mile,  and  Dennis  should  then  go 
up  and  carry  the  field  along  for  a  fast  second  half. 
Then,  after  the  first  mile  was  over,  Early  and  Dennis 
should  go  out  as  fast  as  they  could,  and  stay  as  long 
as  they  [[3  could  in  the  attempt  to  force  the  Harvard 
man  and  exhaust  him  so  that  Lang  could  come  up,  and, 
having  run  the  race  more  to  his  liking,  be  strong  enough 
to  finish  first. 


1913  CONTEST  155 

The  day  of  the  games  came,  and  with  it  a  I  drenching 
rain,  making  the  track  heavy  and  everybody  uncom- 
fortable. But  as  the  intercollegiates  were  the  next 
week,  it  was  almost  impossible  to  postpone  the  games, 
and  consequently,  it  was  decided  to  run  them  off. 
As  the  contest  progressed,  it  developed  that  the  issue 
would  j  hang  on  the  two-mile  event,  and  interest  grew 
intense.  When  the  call  for  starters  came,  Dennis  felt 
the  usual  trepidation  of  a  man  who  is  before  the  public 
for  the  first  time  in  a  really  important  position.  But 
the  feeling  did  not  last  |  long,  and  by  the  time  he  went 
to  his  mark  he  had  made  up  his  mind  that  that  Harvard 
runner  should  go  the  mile  and  a  half  fast  at  any  rate, 
or  else  be  a  long  way  behind. 

At  the  crack  of  the  pistol  jj4  the  six  men  went  off, 
and,  according  to  orders,  during  the  first  mile  Early 
and  Dennis  set  the  pace  well  up;  Richards,  the  Har- 
vard man,  let  them  open  up  a  gap  on  him  in  the  first 
half-mile,  and,  being  more  or  less  {  bothered  by  the 
conditions  of  the  wet  track,  he  seemed  uncertain 
whether  the  Yale  runners  were  setting  the  pace  too 
high  or  not,  and  in  the  second  half  commenced  to  move 
up.  In  doing  this  his  team  mates  gradually  fell  back 
until  they  were  |  out  of  it,  and  the  order  was  Dennis, 
Early,  Richards,  and  Lang.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
second  mile,  Early,  whose  duty  it  was  to  have  gone  up 
and  helped  Dennis  make  the  pace  at  the  third  half- 
mile,  had  manifestly  had  enough  of  j  it,  and,  after  two 
or  three  desperate  struggles  to  keep  up,  was  passed  by 
Richards.  When,  therefore,  they  came  to  the  mile 
and  a  half,  Dennis  was  leading  Richards  by  some 
fifteen  yards,  and  those  who  knew  the  game  expected 
to  see  the  Harvard  [|5  man  try  to  overtake  Dennis. 
(875  words) 


1913  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Chicago) 

200  Words  a  Minute— Championship 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.45 

Yesterday,  all  over  this  land,  a  few  feeble  old  men 
gathered,  and  with  a  band  of  music,  paraded  the  streets 
of  the  various  cities  and  towns  of  this  country.  Those 
old  men  were  once  young,  full  of  the  vigor  of  youthful 
manhood;  and  when  they  were  in  the  prime  of  \  their 
young  manhood,  they  stood  as  a  wall  of  fire  before  this 
country  in  the  day  of  its  peril,  and  saved  it  from  the 
most  terrible  disaster  that  it  is  possible  for  us  to  con- 
ceive of.  To  all  thoughtful  patriots,  that  was  a  sub- 
limely pathetic  spectacle  that  we  witnessed  yesterday.  | 
Those  old  men  are  marching  now,  not  to  face  the  enemy 
of  their  country,  but  the  great  enemy,  Death.  No 
recruiting  station  will  ever  fill  their  ranks.  Tomorrow 
and  the  next  day  and  the  next  day  those  ranks  will 
grow  thinner  and  thinner,  and  the  time  will  come  when, 
throughout  ]  all  this  country,  all  that  will  be  living  will 
be  about  one  hundred  men.  Within  a  short  time  after 
that  there  will  be  only  ten  of  them  living;  and  then 
there  will  be  only  one,  and  soon  there  will  be  no  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic. 

All  honor,  brethren,  to  J  { l  the  sublime  heroism  of  the 
men  who  laid  down  their  lives  for  their  country,  and  of 
those  who  survived  the  perils  of  that  great  war  and  live 

156 


1913  CONTEST  157 

still  to  hear  the  plaudits  of  their  fellow-countrymen, 
who  can  never  forget  the  fidelity  of  those  men  in  the 
hour  of  their  J  country's  peril. 

But  Memorial  Day  is  not  simply  a  day  to  commemo- 
rate the  past.  I  am  here  to  speak  for  the  present  and 
the  future,  not  for  the  past.  Memorial  Day  emphasizes 
to  me,  who  am  also  an  old  soldier,  not  the  battles  of  that 
day  and  the  trials  of  \  that  hour  of  our  country,  but  the 
present  perils.  To  me,  Memorial  Day  always  casts 
a  somber  shadow  over  the  events  of  today;  for  a  living 
nation  is  always  a  nation  that  is  in  danger,  and  that 
requires  the  same  courage  and  fidelity  that  is  demanded 
in  a  time  of  \  war.  This  country  needs  you  today  as 
much  as  it  needed  any  soldier  in  '61  and  on  to  '65.  A 
dead  organism  decays  and  becomes  the  prey  of  the 
worm,  but  a  living  organism  invites  the  predatory 
onslaughts  of  other  living  organisms.  Disease  in  a 
living  organism  is  \\2  only  a  conflict  between  vitalities. 
So  a  living,  prosperous  nation  is  always  engaged  in  a 
struggle.  It  may  appear  extremely  prosperous,  but  it 
is  in  peril  in  spite  of  the  prosperity,  for  prosperity  is 
only  functional  health  warring  with  the  bacterial  dis- 
ease that  is  in  the  body. 

The  problems  which  J  are  supreme  today — how  shall 
the  nation  survive  them?  How  can  it  survive  the  grow- 
ing peril  of  sordid  selfishness,  the  greediness  that  fills 
the  land  today,  that  which  is  the  greatest  peril  that 
ever  comes  to  a  people?  The  Apostle  exhorts  the 
Corinthian  church  here  "that  there  should  be  no  \ 
schism"  among  them;  that  one  member  should  not 
think  that  he  could  do  without  another  member.  This 
is  a  message,  therefore,  to  the  Church  of  God  as  well 
as  for  the  life  of  the  nation.  The  question  of  how  we 
are  to  be  related  to  each  other  is  fundamental. 


158        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

The  I  Apostle  directs  us  to  beware  of  these  schisms 
in  church  and  in  state.  Among  the  problems  peculiar 
to  our  age  is  the  necessity  to  distinguish  between  those 
questions  that  are  vital  and  those  that  are  mere  matters 
of  policy.  The  secession  of  the  Southern  states  was  a 
question  that  was  jj3  vital  to  this  nation.  It  was  not  a 
mere  question  of  policy,  as  the  Southern  people  now 
agree.  Never  again  can  there  be  a  schism  in  that  direc- 
tion. But  are  there  schisms  that  threaten  the  life  of 
this  nation  today — schisms  like  that  one  of  secession, 
vital  questions?  If  there  j  are,  what  are  they? 

Let  me  call  your  attention  to  a  few  of  them.  I  speak 
first  of  the  emphasis  that  we  are  all,  in  church  and  in 
state,  disposed  to  place  upon  our  differences  of  opinion. 
We  have  grown  to  be  a  nation  of  vast  extent  of  terri- 
tory, including  j  a  multiplicity  of  nationalities.  It  is 
natural,  therefore,  that  there  should  be  some  conflict 
of  .opinions.  The  founders  of  this  nation  were  not  all 
cast  in  the  same  mental  mold.  Washington,  Jefferson, 
Madison,  and  Hamilton  were  men  of  strong  individu- 
ality of  opinion.  Party  strife  ran  as  high  in  revolu- 
tionary days  I  as  now,  and  when  those  men  whose 
names  are  always  mentioned  with  reverence  were  in 
the  councils  of  the  nation,  they  contended;  they  were 
divided  by  parties  as  men  are  now.  But  when  they 
met,  those  men  met  as  patriots,  and  every  one  of  them 
recognized  every  other  man  as  [[4  a  patriot,  having  the 
good  of  the  country  at  heart.  They  regarded  each 
other  as  men  who  were  all  working  for  a  single  object. 

When  General  Jackson  was  attending  the  birthday 
banquet  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  in  1830,  at  the  time  that 
great  question  of  nullification  was  before  the  country,  [ 
and  every  man  felt  that  the  country  was  in  danger,  he 
rose,  knowing  that  the  room  was  full  of  milliners  (for, 


1913   CONTEST  159 

indeed,  the  banquet  was  given  by  nullifiers)  and  offered 
this  toast:  " Our  federal  union;  it  must  be  preserved." 
General  Jackson  struck  the  keynote  of  the  vitality  of 
this  country  \  when  he  said  that,  and  if  he  had  never 
uttered  another  sentence  worthy  of  record,  that  would 
have  placed  him  high  on  the  pedestal  of  fame,  in  the 
estimation  of  his  fellow-countrymen.  That  old  legend, 
"United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall,"  is  the  essential 
idea  of  this  country.  Longfellow  \  expressed  the  same 
idea  in  his  apostrophe  to  the  Union : 

"Humanity  with  all  its  fears, 
With  all  its  hope  of  future  years, 
Is  hanging  breathless  on  thy  fate." 

Destroy  this  nation,  and  what  will  become  of  the 
world  itself?  Every  patriot  ought  to  say  with  Rufus 
Choate:  "We  join  ourselves.  ...  [I5  (1000  words) 


1913  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Chicago) 

240  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

JURY  CHARGE 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.53 

Gentlemen  of  the  Jury: 

The  plaintiff  in  this  action  seeks  to  recover  from  the 
defendant  company  damages  for  personal  injuries 
which  are  alleged  to  have  been  sustained  on  account  of 
the  negligence  of  said  company. 

The  plaintiff  claims  that  about  eleven  o'clock  on 
the  night  of  August  14,  1911,  he  was  motoring  a  car 
of  the  defendant,  and  that  ]  because  of  defective  brakes 
on  the  car,  which  would  not  take  hold  of  the  wheels, 
he  was  unable  to  stop  or  hold  the  car  when  descending 
a  certain  grade,  and  in  consequence  thereof  his  car 
collided  with  another  car  and  he  was  injured. 

The  plaintiff's  declaration  consists  of  two  counts, 
one  of  which  avers  that  the  said  defendant  negligently 
and  I  carelessly  suffered  and  permitted  the  said  plain- 
tiff to  use  and  operate  a  certain  car  with  an  improper, 
unsuitable  and  dangerous  brake-shoe,  all  of  which  was 
well  known  to  the  said  defendant  but  unknown  to  the 
said  plaintiff,  and  by  reason  of  the  said  negligence  of 
the  said  defendant  in  permitting  the  use  of  said  car 
with  the  defective  brake  |  -shoe  as  aforesaid  at  the  time 
and  place  aforesaid,  the  said  car  on  which  the  said 

160 


1913  CONTEST  161 

plaintiff  was  a  motorman  as  aforesaid  ran  into  and 
collided  with  another  car  operated  and  controlled  by 
the  said  defendant,  whereby  the  said  plaintiff  was 
greatly  bruised,  cut,  mangled,  broken,  injured  and 
distressed. 

The  second  count  is  similar  to  the  first,  except  that 
the  [I1  word  "brakes"  is  used  in  the  second  count 
instead  of  "brake-shoe"  in  the  first  count. 

So  that  the  negligence  averred,  and  relied  upon,  by 
the  plaintiff  is,  that  the  defendant  suffered  and  per- 
mitted the  plaintiff  to  use  and  operate  the  car  with  a 
defective,  unsafe  and  dangerous  brake-shoe,  or  brakes. 

The  gist  of  this  action  is  negligence,  which  \  is  the 
want  of  ordinary  care,  and  the  burden  of  proving  the 
negligence  of  the  defendant  rests  upon  the  plaintiff. 
If  there  was  no  negligence  on  the  part  of  the  company, 
your  verdict  should  be  for  the  defendant.  Even  if 
there  was  negligence  on  the  part  of  the  defendant,  yet 
if  the  negligence  of  the  plaintiff  contributed  proxi- 
mately  to  the  I  accident  at  the  time  thereof,  the  plain- 
tiff cannot  recover.  In  such  case  the  plaintiff  would 
himself  be  guilty  of  contributory  negligence,  and  where 
there  is  such  negligence  the  law  will  not  attempt  to 
measure  the  proportion  of  blame  or  negligence  to  be 
attributed  to  each  party. 

Contributory  negligence  has  been  defined  to  be  the 
negligence  of  the  plaintiff,  or  of  [  the  person  on  account 
of  whose  injury  the  action  is  brought,  amounting  to  a 
want  of  ordinary  care,  and  approximately  contributing 
to  the  injury. 

The  relation  existing  between  the  defendant  and  the 
plaintiff  at  the  time  of  the  accident  was  that  of  master 
and  servant,  and  the  primary  duty  imposed  upon  the 
defendant  towards  the  plaintiff  in  the  course  of  j!2 


162        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

his  employment  by  reason  of  this  relation  was  to  fur- 
nish him  reasonably  safe  tools,  machinery  and  appli- 
ances with  which  to  work.  The  tools  or  machinery 
used  need  not  be  of  the  safest,  best,  nor  of  the  most 
improved  kind.  It  is  sufficient  if  they  are  reasonably 
safe,  and  adapted  to  the  purpose  of  the  employment. 
If  the  master  fails  to  ]  observe  this  rule  of  law,  and 
injury  results  to  his  servant  from  such  failure,  he 
becomes  liable  therefor  on  the  ground  of  negligence. 
In  the  performance  of  this  duty  the  master  must  use 
all  reasonable  care  and  prudence  for  the  safety  of  the 
servant,  having  regard  to  the  character  of  the  work  to 
be  performed.  Such  care  must  be  in  \  proportion  to 
the  danger  of  the  employment.  The  servant  has  the 
right  to  rely  on  the  master  for  the  performance  of  this 
duty  without  inquiry  on  his  part.  The  servant  assumes 
no  risk  whatever  as  to  such  primary  duty  at  the  time 
he  enters  upon  his  employment;  but  he  does  assume 
all  the  ordinary  risks  incident  to  the  employment; 
such  j  as  are  patent,  seen  and  known,  or  which  may  be 
seen  and  known  by  the  ordinary  use  of  his  senses. 
And  he  is  required  to  exercise  due  care  and  caution  in 
the  course  of  his  employment  to  avoid  dangers  and 
injuries;  for  the  master,  having  performed  the  primary 
duties  required  of  him,  is  not  an  insurer  of  the  safety 
of  II3  his  servants. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  master  also  to  maintain  said 
tools  and  machinery  in  a  reasonably  safe  condition  so 
long  as  they  are  continued  in  use.  If  the  master  knows, 
or  by  the  use  of  due  diligence  might  know  that  the 
tools  and  machinery  in  use  in  his  business  are  not 
reasonably  safe,  it  is  negligence  on  ]  his  part  to  fail  to 
remedy  and  correct  the  defects  of  which  he  has  knowl- 
edge, or  by  the  exercise  of  due  diligence  he  might  dis- 


1913  CONTEST  163 

cover.  Notice  to  the  foreman  or  person  in  general 
charge  of  the  business,  or  having  charge  and  control 
of  the  men  and  the  cars,  that  the  machinery  is  unsafe 
and  dangerous,  is,  in  law,  notice  to  \  the  master;  and 
after  the  receipt  of  such  notice  it  would  be  negligence 
on  the  part  of  the  master  to  fail  to  make  such  machinery 
reasonably  safe  for  the  servant  in  his  employment. 
But  in  such  case  the  master  would  not  be  liable  if  the 
servant  having  knowledge  of  such  defect  continued  to 
use  such  machinery.  The  servant  must  always  [ 
exercise  such  care  and  caution  to  avoid  danger  as  the 
circumstances  reasonably  require,  and  the  greater  the 
danger  the  greater  the  care,  diligence  and  caution 
required. 

But  even  though  machinery  is  defective  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  employee,  yet  if  the  master  has  knowledge 
of  such  defect  and  promises  to  remedy  the  defect,  and 
the  employee,  relying  on  that  promise  j|4  continues  by 
direction  of  the  master,  to  use  it  for  a  reasonable  time, 
he  does  so  at  the  master's  risk,  inasmuch  as  he  has  a 
right  to  rely  on  such  promise. 

If  you  should  believe  from  the  evidence  that  the 
defendant  exercised  reasonable  care  in  the  inspection 
of  the  trolley  car  which  the  plaintiff  was  operating  at 
the  time  of  j  the  accident,  and  that  the  brakes  of  said 
car,  or  other  appliances  complained  of,  when  last 
inspected  before  the  accident,  were  in  reasonably  good 
working  condition  and  that  any  defect  or  disorder,  if 
there  wras  any,  in  any  of  said  appliances  was  not  dis- 
covered sufficiently  long  before  the  accident  so  as  to 
reasonably  permit  the  repair  thereof  or  the  discon- 
tinuance I  of  the  operation  of  such  car,  in  such  event 
the  existence  of  such  defect  or  disorder  would  not 
constitute  negligence  on  the  part  of  the  defendant. 


164        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

If  you  should  believe  from  the  evidence  that  the 
defendant  exercised  reasonable  care  in  the  inspection 
of  the  car  in  question  and  of  the  brakes  and  other 
appliances  thereon,  and  that  the  same  were  {  found  in 
reasonably  good  working  condition  when  the  car  was 
turned  over  to  the  plaintiff  to  operate  as  a  motorman, 
shortly  before  the  accident,  and  that  any  defect  or 
disorder,  if  there  was  any,  in  said  appliances,  occurred 
during  the  operation  of  the  car  by  the  plaintiff,  and 
that  there  was  no  opportunity  to  repair  the  same  or 
discontinue  the  [|5  use  of  the  car  before  the  accident. . . . 
(1200  words) 


1913  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Chicago) 

280  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

TESTIMONY 
Syllable  Intensity: 

With  Q's  and  A's  1.28 

Without  Q's  and  A's      1.19 
Number  of  Q's  and  A's  151 

Q.  Mr.  Long,  your  plant  was  out  northwest  of  the 
city  here,  along  side  of  the  tracks  of  the  Ohio  Electric 

1  believe?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  had  you  been  operating  out  there  prior 
to  the  date  of  the  accident?  A.  About  eight  years. 

Q.  And  cars  had  been  operated  along  there  during 
that  time  I  suppose?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  All  of  that  time?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  ]  You  rode  on  them  frequently,  did  you?  A. 
Yes. 

Q.  Did  they  operate  past  your  place  and  past  Stops 

2  and  3  at  high  speed  when  they  were  not  making  stops? 
A.  Not  real  high,  but  coming  in  they  would  come  in 
at  a  pretty  good  speed.    In  going  out  they  went  at  a 
pretty  high  speed. 

Q.  Ran  about  the  same  there  as  they  did  anywhere 
else?  A.  Yes.  [ 

Q.  Between  here  and  the  second  town  west?  A. 
Yes,  I  suppose  they  did. 

Q.  This  track,  from  Stop  3  until  some  little  distance 

165 


166        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

east  of  Stop  2,  is  a  straight  level  track,  is  it  not?  A. 
Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  how  far  east  of  Stop  3  is  Stop  2?  A.  Well, 
of  course  I  never  measured  that  accurately,  but  I  judge 
about  six  hundred  feet. 

Q.  You  went  to  [  Toledo  during  the  25th  of  January? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  It  had  not  snowed  that  day  nor  the  day  before 
had  it?  A.  Well,  I  think  it  was  snowing  that  afternoon. 

Q.  You  think  it  was?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Well,  will  you  say  that  it  was?  A.  I  think  it  was. 
It  came  up  cloudy  and  I  think  it  was  snowing  that  day 
some. 

Q.  What  time?    A.  Along  jj1  in  the  afternoon. 

Q.  In  the  afternoon  before  or  after  you  left  Toledo? 
A.  After  I  left  there. 

Q.  After  you  left  Toledo  and  before  you  arrived  at 
Stop  2?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  got  on  this  car  at  Toledo  about  three  o'clock? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  it  a  local  car?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  It  picked  up  some  passengers  between  Toledo 
and  Stop  2?  A.  I  suppose  \  it  did;  they  stopped  several 
times.  I  did  not  look  to  see  whether  they  picked  up 
any  one  or  not. 

Q.  You  were  occupying  a  seat  about  the  middle  of 
the  car?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  When  you  got  on  the  car  you  observed  the  plat- 
form? A.  Not  very  much.  There  were  quite  a  number 
of  people  got  on  there  and  I  did  not  pay  much  attention 
to  the  platform.  [ 

Q.  Just  answer  the  question:  did  you  observe  the 
platform?  A.  I  think  not. 

Q.  Did  you  not  look  at  the  platform  and  see  whether 


1913  CONTEST  167 

there  was  ice  on  it  or  not?  A.  I  did  not  have  time  to 
look. 

Q.  Well,  did  you  or  did  you  not?  A.  I  say  I  did  not 
have  the  time  to. 

Q.  You  did  not.  Was  there  ice  on  the  platform  at 
the  |  time  you  got  on?  A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  ice  there?  A.  I  could  not  see, 
no.  I  did  not  see  any  ice. 

Q.  You  could,  not  see?    A.  I  did  not  look  at  it. 

Q.  You  did  not  see  any  ice  on  it?  A.  I  could  not,  I 
say,  at  the  time. 

Q.  I  am  not  asking  you  what  you  could  or  could  not 
II2  see:  did  you  or  did  you  not?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  not  see  any  ice  on  that  platform?    A.  No. 

Q.  You  are  positive  of  that?    A.  I  told  you  I  did  not. 

Q.  You  went  up  from  the  right-hand  or  south  side 
of  the  rear  steps?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Onto  the  platform?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  into  the  car?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  At  Toledo?  [     A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  did  not  see  any  ice  or  snow  on  the  plat- 
form? A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Nor  on  the  steps?    A.  I  said  no,  sir. 

Q.  Was  this  car  heated  and  warm?  A.  Warm 
inside,  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  take  a  seat  with  any  one  or  were  you 
alone?  A.  I  was  alone. 

Q.  No  one  was  seated  with  you  from  Toledo  to  Stop 
2?  I  A.  I  do  not  remember  as  there  was. 

Q.  Were  you  carrying  any  parcels  with  you?  A. 
No,  sir. 

Q.  A  valise  or  anything  of  that  kind?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  take  any  snow  onto  the  steps  as  you 
went  in?  A.  No,  sir. 


168        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Did  you  see  anybody  else  take  any  snow  onto 
the  steps?  A.  No,  I  did  not  see  anybody. 

Q.  You  say  that  when  \  you  arrived  at  about  Stop 
2,  or  soon  after  leaving  Stop  3,  you  could  not  attract 
the  attention  of  the  conductor  who  was  standing  near 
the  rear  door  and  you  got  up  from  your  seat  and  went 
back  to  him  and  tapped  him  on  the  shoulder  and 
stated  to  him  you  wanted  to  get  off  at  Stop  2?  A. 
Yes,  sir. 

.  Q.  Then  you  stepped  out  onto  the  platform  after 
IJ3  he  had  rung  the  bell?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  did  not  observe  any  ice  or  snow  on  the  plat- 
form? A.  Not  in  front  where  I  stepped  on. 

Q.  How?  A.  There  was  none  where  I  stepped  down 
on  the  platform. 

Q.  Was  there  any  there  anywhere?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where?  A.  There  was  ice  along  on  the  platform 
next  to  the  steps,  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  [  platform. 

Q.  Over  to  the  north  side  of  the  platform?  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  How  much  ice  or  snow  was  there?  A.  I  could 
not  tell  that  much,  but  there  was  considerable  there. 

Q.  About  how  wide  was  it?  A.  I  could  not  tell  the 
exact  width,  you  know,  I  did  not  measure  it. 

Q.  How  long  was  it?  A.  It  was  along  the  front  of 
the  steps  along  on  I  the  platform  and  on  the  end  part 
of  the  platform  next  towards  the  car,  where  I  saw  this 
ice. 

Q.  You  saw  that  when  you  stepped  out  onto  the 
platform?  A.  No,  I  did  not  see  any  there  when  I 
stepped  on  the  platform. 

Q.  When  did  you  observe  this  ice?  A.  When  I 
stepped  on  it. 

Q.  Not  before?     A.  No,   sir. 


1913   CONTEST  169 

Q.  You  are  positive  of  that,  are  [  you?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  then  how  far  did  it  extend  to  the  south  from 
the  top  of  the  step?  A.  I  could  not  tell  how  far  it 
extended. 

Q.  Where  did  you  stand  when  you  went  on  the  plat- 
form? A.  I  stood  right  out  in  front  of  the  door. 

Q.  In  the  middle  of  the  platform?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  how  far  west  of  the  door?  A.  [j4  A  little 
past  the  center  towards  the  west  side. 

Q.  Then  you  were  in  the  middle  of  this  platform, 
both  east  and  west  and  north  and  south?  A.  Pretty 
close  to  the  middle,  yes. 

Q.  And  that  is  where  you  stood  until  the  brakes 
caused  the  car  to  slacken  and  made  you  slip:  is  that 
the  way  you  want  the  jury  to  understand  it?  A. 
When  the  brakes  were  put  |  on,  why,  my  body  swayed 
and  I  would  have  fallen  over  against  the  side,  but  I 
went  to  step  out,  you  know,  and  stepped  on  this  ice 
and  my  foot  slipped. 

Q.  Did  you  have  hold  of  anything  while  you  were 
standing  in  the  middle  of  the  platform?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  not?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Was  the  car  running  at  a  pretty  good  speed? 
A.  It  was,  |  yes,  sir. 

Q.  While  you  were  standing  there?  A.  When  I  first 
went  out,  it  was,  I  suppose. 

Q.  Now  at  what  place  did  the  motorman  first  apply 
the  brakes;  how  far  from  the  road  crossing?  A.  I  do 
not  know. 

Q.  Do  you  know  when  he  applied  the  brakes?  A. 
I  know  when  I  slipped  is  all. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  that  he  applied  the  brakes 
before  that?  [  A.  No,  I  do  not. 

Q.  You  knew  he  would  have  to  apply  the  brakes  at 


170        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

—to  stop  at  Stop  2,  did  you  not?  A.  I  suppose  he  had 
to,  to  stop,  of  course;  yes,  a  man  would  have  to  apply 
the  brakes. 

Q.  You  have  ridden  on  the  cars  before?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  know  they  apply  the  brakes?    A.  Sure. 

Q.  And  in  applying  the  brakes  you  are  \\5  aware 
that  the  car  must  be  slowed  down?  (1400  words) 


1914  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Atlantic  City) 

150  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.45 

I  believe  that  in  the  next  half  century,  the  South  will 
have  a  greater  development  than  any  other  part  of  the 
country.  And  I  believe  that  you  are  facing  that 
development  in  exactly  the  right  spirit,  with  [  the 
determination  to  learn  by  what  has  occurred  elsewhere 
in  the  country;  to  have  none  of  the  dreadful  false  pride 
which  forbids  your  copying  what  is  good,  and  none  of 
the  even  less  desirable  spirit  which  makes  you  j  slavishly 
copy  something  whether  it  is  good  or  not. 

I  hope  to  see  you  surpass  any  other  section  of  the 
country  in  the  keenness  of  your  business  spirit,  in  the 
way  in  which  you  work  for  the  \  industrial  upbuilding 
of  the  commonwealth  here.  But  I  most  earnestly  hope 
that  you  will  not  repeat  the  mistake  that  has  been  so 
often  committed  in  the  great  northern  communities 
of  getting  so  absorbed  in  a  quick,  immediate,  and  jj1 
intense  industrial  development  as  to  forget  the  fact 
that  it  does  not  pay  to  have  an  industrial  development 
too  quickly  if  you  purchase  that  development  with 
ethical  losses. 

As  I  have  said  before  today,  it  is  absolutely  \  neces- 
sary to  have  the  material  success.  In  speaking  to  you 

171 


172        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

collectively  as  members  of  a  community,  I  would  speak 
exactly  as  I  would  if  I  were  speaking  to  you  individu- 
ally. Now  and  then  I  have  been  asked  to  ]  address 
Sunday  schools,  and  I  have  always  felt  a  certain  shock 
of  horror  at  one  type  of  Sunday-school  speaker,  the 
speaker  who  deems  it  necessary  to  live  up  to  his  char- 
acter of  the  moment  by  saying  ]  that  you  must  not 
think  for  a  moment  of  any  kind  of  success,  except  the 
success  of  your  own  souls,  of  anything  except  mere 
altruism;  that  you  are  not  to  consider  in  after  life 
merely  getting  ahead  etc.;  [[2  that  you  are  to  consider 
only  doing  good.  The  man  who  preaches  that  too  much 
is  usually  the  man  who  does  not  practice  it  at  all. 

The  thing  to  be  taught  to  every  Sunday-school 
scholar  and  [  every  grown-up  in  the  land  is  that  he  has 
got  to  think  of  himself;  that  he  has  got  to  make  a 
success  of  life  for  himself  in  material  ways;  that  he 
cannot  be  a  decent  citizen  unless  {  he  is  first  able  to 
take  care  of  his  own  wife  and  his  own  family  and  him- 
self, that  no  man  of  lofty  devotion  to  abstract  ideals 
compensates  for  the  fact  that  he  is  a  burden  on  some- 
one I  else  in  material  things ;  that  he  cannot  be  a  good 
citizen  until  he  has  pulled  his  own  weight.  He  must 
not  be  a  passenger;  he  must  pull  his  own  weight. 
Dwell  on  that  fact,  and  then  dwell  on  I]3  the  further 
fact  that  while  he  cannot  be  a  success  unless  he  is  a 
success  in  a  material  way,  yet  to  be  a  success  only  in  a 
material  way  may  make  him  merely  a  curse  to  his  ] 
fellows. 

What  is  true  of  us  individually  is  true  of  us  collec- 
tively. There  can  be  no  fine  or  high  American  life 
unless  there  is  a  real  and  solid  foundation  of  material 
prosperity.  When  you  find  a  community  that  ]  is 
going  backwards,  you  need  not  look  for  too  lofty 


1914  CONTEST  173 

emotions  in  it;  you  will  not  find  any.  When  a  man 
does  not  know  quite  where  he  is  going  to  get  his  next 
meal,  you  cannot  count  \  on  making  a  profound  ethical 
appeal  to  him. 

You  have  got  to  have  the  foundation  of  material 
prosperity,  and  the  man  is  a  poor  ethical  adviser  who 
tells  you  anything  else.  You  must  have  that  as  a  basis 
H4  upon  which  to  complete  the  proper  superstructure 
of  life.  Only  be  sure  that  you  have  the  right  kind  of 
business,  and  be  sure  that  it  is  only  the  foundation. 

If  America  is  to  stand  for  nothing  in  \  the  future 
except  an  enormously  prosperous  community  of  dollar 
gatherers,  then  the  mark  of  America  upon  the  history 
of  the  world  will  be  small.  There  must  be  mixed  with 
the  dollar  getting  a  good,  substantial  amount  of  ideals  J 
or  the  dollar  getting  by  itself  will  not  really  help  put 
us  any  farther  ahead. 

In  other  words,  business  success,  material  success, 
is  only  to  a  very  limited  degree  an  end  in  itself.  It  is 
an  indispensable  \  means;  but  it  is  only  a  means  to  an 
end. 

There,  again,  it  is  just  as  it  is  in  private  life.  I  have 
not  the  slightest  use  for  the  young  fellow  who  does  not 
want  to  stand  on  j}5  his  own  feet  and  go  out  and  work 
and  achieve  success  for  himself.  (750  words) 


1914  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Atlantic  City) 

175  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.43 

I  confess  that  I  have  a  soft  place  in  my  heart  for 
that  rare  character  in  our  New  England  life  who  is 
content  with  the  world  as  he  finds  it;  and  who  does  not 
attempt  to  appropriate  any  more  of  it  to  himself  j 
than  he  absolutely  needs  from  day  to  day.  He  knows 
from  the  beginning  that  the  world  could  not  get  on 
without  him,  and  he  has  never  had  any  anxiety  to 
leave  any  result  behind  him — any  legacy  for  the  world 
to  quarrel  over.  He  |  is  really  an  exotic  in  our  New 
England  climate  and  society;  and  his  life  is  perpetually 
misunderstood  by  his  neighbors,  because  he  shares 
none  of  their  anxiety  about  "getting  on  in  life."  He 
is  even  called  "lazy,"  "good-for-nothing"  and  "shift- 
less"— the  final  I  stigma  that  we  put  upon  a  person 
who  has  learned  to  wait  without  the  exhausting  process 
of  laboring. 

I  made  his  acquaintance  last  summer  in  the  country; 
and  I  have  not  for  a  long  time  been  so  well  pleased 
with  any  of  our  species.  I]1  He  had  always  been  from 
boyhood  of  a  contented  and  placid  mind;  slow  in  his 
movements,  slow  in  his  speech.  I  think  he  never  cher- 
ished a  hard  feeling  toward  anybody,  nor  envied  any- 

174 


1914  CONTEST  175 

one — least  of  all  the  rich  and  prosperous,  about  whom 
he  I  liked  to  talk.  Indeed,  his  talk  was  a  good  deal 
about  wealth,  especially  about  his  cousin  who  had  been 
down  South,  and  "got  very  prosperous"  within  a  few 
years.  But  he  had  no  envy  in  him,  and  he  evinced  no 
desire  to  imitate  him.  [  I  inferred  from  all  his  conver- 
sation about  "piling  it  up" — of  which  he  spoke  with  a 
gleam  of  enthusiasm  in  his  eye — that  there  were 
moments  when  he  would  like  to  be  rich  himself;  but 
it  was  evident  that  he  would  never  make  the  \  least 
effort  to  be  so;  and  I  doubt  if  he  could  even  overcome 
that  delicious  inertia  of  mind  and  body  called  laziness, 
sufficiently  to  inherit. 

Wealth  seemed  to  have  a  far  and  peculiar  fascination 
for  him;  and  I  suspect  he  was  a  visionary  in  U2  the 
midst  of  his  poverty.  Yet  I  suppose  he  had  hardly  the 
personal  property  which  the  law  exempts  from  exe- 
cution. He  had  lived  in  a  great  many  towns,  moving 
from  one  to  another  with  his  growing  family  by  easy 
stages,  and  was  always  j  the  poorest  man  in  the  town, 
and  lived  on  the  most  niggardly  of  its  rocky  and  bram- 
ble-grown farms,  the  productiveness  of  which  he 
reduced  to  zero  in  a  couple  of  years  by  his  careful 
neglect  of  culture.  The  fences  of  his  hired  domain  [ 
always  fell  into  ruins  under  him,  perhaps  because  he 
sat  upon  them  so  much,  and  the  hovels  he  occupied 
rotted  down  during  his  placid  residence  in  them.  He 
moved  from  desolation  to  desolation;  but  carried 
always  with  him  the  equal  mind  of  a  philosopher.  | 
Not  even  the  occasional  tart  remarks  of  his  wife  about 
their  nomadic  life,  and  his  serenity  in  the  midst  of 
discomfort  could  ruffle  his  smooth  spirit. 

He  was  in  every  respect  a  most  worthy  man ;  truth- 
ful, honest,  temperate,  and,  I  need  not  say,  frugal.  ][3 


176        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

He  had  no  bad  habits;  perhaps  he  never  had  energy 
enough  to  acquire  any.  Nor  did  he  lack  the  knack  of 
the  Yankee  race.  He  could  make  a  shoe,  or  build  a 
house,  or  doctor  a  cow;  but  it  never  seemed  to  him,  J 
in  his  brief  existence,  worth  the  while  to  do  any  of  these 
things.  He  was  an  excellent  angler,  but  he  rarely 
fished;  partly  because  of  the  shortness  of  the  days, 
partly  on  account  of  the  uncertainty  of  bites,  but  prin- 
cipally because  the  trout-brooks  j  were  all  arranged 
lengthwise,  and  ran  over  so  much  ground.  But  no  man 
liked  to  look  at  a  string  of  trout  better  than  he  did; 
and  he  was  willing  to  sit  down  in  a  sunny  place  and  talk 
about  trout-fishing  half  a  day  j  at  a  time;  and  he 
would  talk  pleasantly  and  well,  too,  though  his  wife 
might  be  continually  interrupting  him  by  call  for 
firewood. 

I  should  not  do  justice  to  his  own  idea  of  himself  if 
I  did  not  add  that  he  was  most  respectably  jj4  con- 
nected, and  that  he  had  a  justifiable  though  feeble 
pride  in  his  family.  It  helped  his  self-respect,  which  no 
ignoble  circumstance  could  destroy.  He  was,  as  must 
appear  by  this  time,  a  most  intelligent  man,  and  he  was 
a  well-informed  man.  j  That  is  to  say,  he  read  the 
weekly  newspapers  when  he  could  get  them;  and  he 
had  the  average  country  information  about  Beecher, 
and  Greeley,  and  the  Prussian  war,  and  the  general 
prospect  of  the  election  campaigns.  Indeed,  he  was 
warmly — or,  rather,  lukewarmly — !  interested  in  poli- 
tics. He  liked  to  talk  about  the  "inflated  currency"; 
and  it  seemed  plain  to  him  that  his  condition  would 
somehow  be  improved  if  we  could  get  a  more  elastic 
currency.  He  was,  in  fact,  a  little  troubled  about  the 
National  Debt;  it  }  seemed  to  press  on  him  somehow, 
while  his  own  never  did.  He  exhibited  more  anima- 


1914  CONTEST  177 

tion  over  the  affairs  of  the  government  than  he  did 
over  his  own — an  evidence  at  once  of  his  disinterested- 
ness and  his  patriotism. 

He  had  been  an  old  Abolitionist,  and  J]5  was  strong 
on  the  rights  of  "free  labor."    (875  words) 


1914  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Atlantic  City) 

200  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.53 

Mr.  President: 

It  is  a  very  melancholy  duty  which  we  perform  today, 
in  memory  of  one  of  our  number  who  at  the  very  begin- 
ning of  his  career  in  the  Senate  was  summoned  to  the 
larger  activities  which  lie  beyond  the  life  which  we  live 
in  this  world. 

I  had  an  [  opportunity  for  a  great  many  years  to  be 
associated  with  our  departed  friend  and  to  know  him 
with  some  degree  of  intimacy.  He  was  not  born  in 
Iowa,  but  his  people  were  among  the  early  settlers  of 
that  state.  They  came  from  Wisconsin  when  Senator 
Johnson  was  only  a  youth,  \  so  that  his  whole  life  and 
education  was  among  my  constituents. 

From  his  boyhood  he  was  a  student  and  a  man  of 
ambition  and  enthusiasm  in  all  the  work  which  he 
undertook.  He  had  the  struggles  which  nearly  every- 
body has  had  with  the  narrow  surroundings  of  life  in  a 
new  I  country.  But  these  did  not  prevent  him  from 
securing  a  broad  and  liberal  education.  He  began 
his  studies  in  one  of  our  little  Iowa  colleges  near  his 
home,  and  in  1873,  with  a  very  remarkable  record  for 
diligence  as  a  student,  he  graduated  from  our  state 
university. 

178 


1914  CONTEST  179 

From  JI1  his  early  manhood  he  was  a  power  in  the 
community  in  which  he  lived,  both  by  reason  of  his 
character  and  also  by  reason  of  his  unusual  equipment 
for  the  labors  and  responsibilities  of  public  life.  He 
served  with  distinction  as  a  member  of  the  Senate  in 
the  General  Assembly  \  of  Iowa  when  he  was  a  young 
man.  He  was  a  partisan,  I  reckon  as  well  settled  in  his 
convictions,  and  even  in  his  prejudices,  as  any  man 
whom  I  have  ever  known;  but  that  did  not  prevent 
him  from  being  popular  with  all  parties  in  every  better 
sense  of  \  that  word.  He  was  more  than  once  the 
chosen  representative  of  his  party,  while  he  remained 
in  Iowa,  in  the  conventions,  local  and  national,  which 
determined  its  policy  and  presented  its  candidates; 
and  his  departure  from  our  state  to  a  new  and,  as  he 
thought,  a  larger  field  left  behind  [  him  a  multitude  of 
friends  whom  no  man  could  number. 

He  was  one  of  the  advance  guard  that  went  from 
Iowa  into  the  Northwest.  In  this  country  we  are  a 
strangely  nomadic  people.  I  think  the  most  startling 
peculiarity  of  our  population  is  the  fact  that  hardly 
anybody  has  felt]]2  bound  to  live  permanently  where 
he  first  located. 

The  old  sense  of  the  homestead  which  once  dominated 
life  in  .states  like  Virginia  and  Massachusetts,  one  of 
the  traits  of  our  inheritance,  has  practically  disap- 
peared, and  there  are  states  which  have  poured  out  the 
wealth  of  their  citizenship,  their  young  men,  [  and 
their  able  men,  to  lay  the  foundations  of  society  in 
unsettled  communities  afar  off,  which  present  the 
glamour  of  opportunity  to  the  imaginations  of  the 
strong. 

The  State  of  Iowa  in  the  last  twenty  years  has  con- 
tributed probably  more  than  any  one  settled  community 


in  the  United  States  to  ]  the  growth  of  the  newer 
states  lying  toward  the  West  and  toward  the  North- 
west. He  was  a  pioneer  of  that  peculiarly  American 
movement,  because  while  Senator  Johnson  was  of 
Scandinavian  ancestry  he  was  American,  as  his  people 
were  in  every  true  sense  of  that  word.  He  was  a 
pioneer  in  j  the  emigration  which  took  so  many  to  the 
prairies  of  North  Dakota  when  that  section  of  the 
United  States  was  practically  a  wilderness — not  a 
wilderness  in  the  old  sense  of  the  word,  for  there  lay 
that  boundless  meadow  waiting  only  for  the  industry 
and  skill  of  vigorous  men  and  Jj3  women  to  develop 
resources  practically  without  limit. 

He  became  a  farmer  in  the  actual  sense  of  that  word. 
We  have  had  a  good  many  members  of  Congress  who 
have  commended  themselves  to  our  favorable  attention 
as  farmers.  Only  a  very  few  of  them,  however,  have 
lived  on  their  land  within  j  recent  years.  Senator 
Johnson  was  a  man  whose  home  was  his  North  Dakota 
farm  and  whose  life  work  outside  of  his  public  service 
was  that  most  ancient  and  most  honorable  occupation 
of  man. 

I  remember  a  few  years  ago  when  I  was  traveling 
across  the  State  of  North  Dakota — 1 1  think  it  was  in 
the  presidential  campaign  of  1904 — with  a  very  dis- 
tinguished party,  including  the  former  Vice-President 
of  the  United  States,  then  a  candidate  for  that  office, 
the  train  passed  the  homestead  of  Martin  N.  Johnson, 
and  we  enjoyed  the  sight,  at  60  miles  an  hour,  of  [ 
seeing  our  old  friend  out  in  front  of  his  barn,  waving 
an  implement  of  husbandry,  as  a  sort  of  passing  wel- 
come, to  the  travelers  through  his  domain. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  his  labors  were 
engrossed  with  the  cultivation  of  this  North  Dakota 


1914  CONTEST  181 

farm,  he  never  altogether  lost  his  taste  for  j[4  the  public 
service.  My  first  acquaintance  with  him  was  when  we 
came,  near  the  same  tune,  to  Congress;  and  I  will 
say,  in  passing,  that  men  who  served  together  their 
first  terms  in  Congress,  when  this  familiar  machinery 
of  government  seemed  new  and  strange,  have  had  an 
experience  which,  whatever  J  may  be  the  vicissitudes 
of  life,  is  never  likely  to  be  reproduced  in  any  exigency 
of  their  service. 

Young  men  who  came  for  the  first  time  to  the  Capi- 
tol as  Representatives  and  fell  into  the  storms  which 
used  to  rage  in  the  Hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives 
week  after  {  week  received  impressions  which  made 
fast  friends  of  those  who  enjoyed  the  experience 
together. 

I  remember  that  I  came  here  with  very  definite  ideals 
and  a  very  high  notion  of  the  dignity  and  of  the  solem- 
nity of  Congress.  I  recall  that  once  while  the  storm  of 
insurrection  against  the  newly  ]  elected  Speaker,  Mr. 
Reed,  was  at  its  height,  I  lost  faith  in  free  institutions. 
I  said  to  myself,  this  howling  multitude  can  not  be  the 
Government  of  the  United  States.  I  came  over  to  the 
Senate  as  a  sort  of  relief  to  excited  feelings.  I  came 
in  here  timidly,  having  [j5  just  learned  of  my  privilege 
on  this  floor.  (1000  words) 


1914  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Atlantic  City) 

220  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.46 

In  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  the  Senate 
and  House  of  Representatives  together  are  called  "The 
Congress."  Hence,  in  strictness,  Senators  and  Repre- 
sentatives are  alike  Members  of  Congress;  but  in 
everyday  language  the  name  is  given  to  Representatives 
only,  and  they  alone  write  M.  C.  after  their  names. 
It  is  the  life  of  the  [  Representatives  only  which  I  shall 
try  to  sketch,  and  of  that  life  I  can  hope  to  give  but  the 
merest  outline. 

It  is  a  fact  of  almost  universal  application  that  we 
see  the  bright  side  of  every  other  man's  occupation, 
and  seldom  the  dark  side.  The  dark  side  of  our  own 
lives  we  clearly  know,  \  and  we  are  quite  as  apt  to 
exaggerate  its  blackness  as  we  are  to  magnify  the  good 
another  enjoys. 

Probably  a  great  many  young  people  think  that  the 
life  of  a  Member  of  Congress,  with  five  thousand  dol- 
lars a  year,  is  a  life  of  pleasure,  comfort,  and  luxury, 
full  of  power  and  dignity.  If  they  ]  do  not,  they  have 
changed  very  much  from  the  young  people  of  my  day. 
Of  course  they  have  changed  in  other  ways,  and  much 
for  the  better,  but  probably  not  in  this  estimate  of 
things. 

182 


1914  CONTENT  183 

Of  course  the  young  people  are  right  in  a  measure. 
It  is  an  honorable  duty  to  perform — that  of  represent- 
ing j]1  a  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  thousand 
people  in  their  relations  with  the  seventy  millions  of 
other  people  of  a  great  nation,  the  prosperity  of  which 
may  be  affected  by  the  Representative's  wisdom, 
either  in  giving  good  advice  or  following  good  advice 
given  by  others,  either  in  acting  or  refusing  to  act. 

But  the  [  picture  has  some  shadows  as  well  as  lights. 
A  Congressman  has  labors  to  perform  as  well  as  position 
to  enjoy,  and  as  a  man  gets  older  he  sets  less  and  less 
value  on  place  and  position. 

The  duties  he  has  to  perform  are  not  by  any  means 
uniform.  They  depend  upon  the  wants  and  needs,  ] 
real  or  imagined,  of  his  district.  All  districts  are  not 
equally  interested  in  things  at  Washington.  Some  dis- 
tricts, especially  those  in  the  East  and  on  the  Atlantic 
coast  outside  of  the  great  cities,  have  very  little  to  do 
with  the  bureaus  at  Washington. 

In  the  West,  and  especially  in  the  newly  settled 
states,  the  relations  j  with  the  Interior  Department, 
and  particularly  with  the  Land  Office,  are  very  close 
and  very  important  to  the  individual  constituent.  To 
have  a  hundred  letters  a  day,  all  relating  to  business 
before  the  departments,  is  not  an  uncommon  experi- 
ence for  a  member  from  Kansas  or  Nebraska,  for  in 
those  states  all  land  titles  come,  or  j|2  are  to  come, 
from  the  Government;  and  many  of  them  have  to  be 
finally  adjudicated  at  Washington  in  case  of  dispute. 

All  the  members  have  much  to  do  with  pensions. 
They  bring  special  cases  to  the  notice  of  the  bureau, 
and  hasten  decisions.  Here,  again,  the  Western  mem- 
ber is  much  more  harassed  than  we  of  \  the  East, 
because  so  many  of  our  soldiers,  broadened  by  contact 


184        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

with  brother  soldiers  from  all  over  the  United  States, 
were  tempted  to  try  their  fortunes  in  the  frontier 
communities. 

So  also  the  distribution  of  revenue  raised  by  taxes 
among  the  rivers  and  harbors,  the  Indians,  the  navy, 
agriculture,  public  buildings,  and  all  other  items  \  of 
government  expenditure  make  much  correspondence 
and  business  for  members. 

In  addition  to  these  labors,  it  may  be  mentioned  that 
any  one  of  the  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  con- 
stituents is  at  perfect  liberty  to  write  his  views  on 
religion  or  finance  to  his  member,  and  expects  at  least 
an  acknowledgment.  Luckily,  nowadays,  thanks  to  | 
reform  in  the  civil  service,  considerable  time  is  saved 
which  used  to  go  to  the  service  of  those  who  wished  to 
assist  their  country  by  holding  its  offices. 

The  official  duties  may  be  more  or  less,  according  to 
the  prominence  of  the  member.  Every  new  member, 
like  a  young  lawyer  or  merchant  newly  come  to  jj3 
town,  has  to  show  what  there  is  in  him  and  win  his  own 
way.  Distinction  won  in  other  fields  of  endeavor  will 
gain  a  man  a  hearing  for  the  first  time,  but  not  after- 
ward. If  he  wishes  to  talk  and  be  listened  to,  he  had 
better  have  something  to  say  and  know  how  to  say  [  it. 

Most  men  are  not  listened  to.  Most  of  the  long 
speeches  sent  to  constituents  have  no  effect  on  the 
House,  and  might  as  well  have  been  delivered  in  an 
attic  or  poured  out  into  the  open  air.  That  they  are 
delivered  at  all  is  largely  owing  to  the  strange  mistake 
which  our  country  has  j  not  got  over — that  a  good 
member  must  be  an  orator.  Now  every  man  wants  to 
be  thought  a  good  member;  hence  he  speechifies  in  the 
Congressional  Record. 

In  early  days,  when  there  was  little  to  do  and  mem- 


1914  CONTEST  185 

bers  were  few,  no  doubt  the  country  owed  much  of 
its  education  to  such  speeches,  but  in  [  these  days, 
debate — that  sort  of  speaking  in  which  a  man  says 
only  what  he  knows  so  well  that  he  does  not  need  to 
put  it  on  paper — would  seem  to  be  a  far  more  advan- 
tageous consumption  of  time.  General  education, 
such  as  it  is — and  I  do  not  undervalue  it — comes 
from  newspapers  and  [|4  other  sources. 

The  early  impression  a  new  member  gets  when  he 
listens  for  the  first  few  weeks,  is  that  there  are  in  the 
House  an  astonishing  number  of  men  who  know  how 
to  talk  well;  but  after  a  while  he  sees  the  limitations 
of  each  man. 

Another  thing  which  rather  surprises  the  new  mem- 
ber is  I  that  the  vote  does  not  seem  to  follow  the  argu- 
ment. He  does  not  comprehend  that  people  who  do 
not  talk  may  think,  and  may  not  think  to  the  same 
conclusion  as  those  who  talk.  Nor  does  he  compre- 
hend the  tremendous  diversity  of  interests  in  the 
House.  He  knows  vaguely  that  this  is  a  great  country; 
I  indeed,  he  has  frequently  heard  persons  say  so,  and 
has  said  so  himself;  but  he  does  not  understand  that 
a  thousand  miles  of  distance  is  a  tremendous  change  of 
the  point  of  view. 

If  we  could  only  make  the  intelligent  men  all  over 
the  country  realize  the  sectional  differences  of  opinion 
which  our  greatness  occasions,  I  the  whole  people  would 
look  with  more  reasonableness  upon  those  whom  only 
the  whole  earth  in  the  way  of  legislation  will  content. 

The  new  member  in  his  first  term,  and  often  long 
afterward,  finds  the  rules  a  perpetual  stumbling-stone 
and  rock  of  offense.  He  wants  to  talk  and  to  get  his 
measures  before  the  U5  House,  and  somehow  he  never 
can.  (1100  words) 


1914  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Atlantic  City) 

280  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

TESTIMONY 

Syllable  Intensity: 

With  Q's  and  A's  1.37 

Without  Q's  and  A's      1.28 
Number  of  Q's  and  A's  162 

Q.  When  did  you  first  become  acquainted  with 
Brown?  A.  About  fourteen  years  ago,  more  or  less. 

Q.  How  much  more  or  less?    A.  May  be  a  year. 

Q.  Which  was  it?  A.  It  is  hard  to  say  exactly  what 
year,  for  I  joined  the  society— 

Q.  Never  mind  the  society,  when  did  you  first  meet 
him?  A.  Say  in  1885. 

Q.  That  would  be  about  fourteen  years  \  ago?  A. 
Thirteen  years  ago. 

Q.  Where  did  you  meet  him?  A.  At  the  society 
meeting. 

Q.  What  society  meeting?  A.  The  Church  of  the 
Most  Holy  Redeemer. 

Q.  What  was  the  nature  of  that  society?  A.  A 
beneficial  society. 

Q.  A  sort  of  charitable  arrangement?   A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  many  members  did  you  have?  A.  Ninety 
members. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  the  circumstances  under  which 

186 


1914  CONTEST  187 

you  first  met  |  him?  A.  I  could  not  say  exactly  where 
I  first  met  him;  I  may  have  met  him  before  I  joined 
the  society. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  when  and  where  you  first 
became  acquainted  with  him?  A.  At  the  church. 

Q.  What  was  going  on  at  that  time,  if  you  remember? 
A.  Nothing  exactly. 

Q.  You  met  him  as  you  would  anybody  else  in  the 
society?  A.  Yes,  sir.  <*  ,, 

Q.  How  J  often  did  you  meet  him  at  that  society 
in  those  days?  A.  Once  a  month. 

Q.  How  long  did  that  continue  from  the  time  you 
first  met  him?  A.  Until  he  left  the  society. 

Q.  When  was  that?  A.  I  could  not  tell  you  when; 
after  he  got  married. 

Q.  How  many  years  did  you  continue  to  meet  him 
once  a  month?  A.  Say  two  years. 

Q.  So  that  would  U1  bring  it  from  eighteen  eighty- 
five  to  eighteen  eighty-seven?  A.  About. 

Q.  Then  you  lost  track  of  him?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  did  not  see  him  again  until  about  three  years 
ago?  A.  About  that. 

Q.  Was  he  a  married  man  when  you  first  met  him 
in  the  society?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  He  was  like  the  rest  of  the  boys  going  around 
and  having  a  pretty  good  [  time?  A.  Socially,  yes. 

Q.  What  was  he  doing  at  that  time?  A.  I  think  he 
was  a  cigar  maker,  then. 

Q.  Was  he  working?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  When  he  was  working  he  was  happy  and  pleasant 
and  attended  to  church  meetings?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  he  was  single?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  lost  track  of  him  until  three  years  ago?  A. 
Yes,  sir. 


188        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Where  did  ]  you  then  find  him?  A.  Up  at  the 
church  where  I  resided  up  town ;  the  church  at  eighty- 
seventh  street. 

Q.  He  went  to  the  church?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  whether  it  was  morning  or 
evening?  A.  It  was  morning. 

Q.  You  say  he  looked  in  poor  health  at  that  time? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Features  seemed  care-worn?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  He  did  not  seem  \  to  be  as  youthful  as  he  had  been 
ten  years  before  that?  A.  No,  there  was  a  big  change 
in  the  man. 

Q.  A  big  change  in  those  ten  years?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  he  was  out  of  work?  A.  I  asked  him  and  he 
told  me  that;  I  do  not  know  whether  he  was  or  not. 

Q.  You  had  no  reason  to  disbelieve  him?    A.  No. 

Q.  Did  II2  it  impress  you  as  strange  that  he  should 
not  be  as  youthful  as  he  was  ten  years  previously? 
A.  No,  he  should  not  be  as  youthful. 

Q.  You  were  not  surprised  then?  A.  I  was  surprised 
very  much. 

Q.  You  were  surprised  not  to  find  him  as  youthful? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  think  he  should  have  grown  older?  A.  He 
might  have  grown  older,  but  he  could  have  had  good  | 
spirits. 

Q.  The  fact  that  he  was  out  of  work,  whereas  he  had 
been  previously  working — that  you  would  not  consider 
at  all?  A.  No. 

Q.  You  did  not  consider  that,  as  affecting  a  man's 
disposition  at  all?  A.  It  might  have  something  to  do 
with  it. 

Q.  Did  you  consider  it?    A.  I  did  in  one  way. 

Q.  Did  you  expect  to  see  him  as  hopeful  and  cheer- 


1914  CONTEST  189 

ful  when  I  he  was  out  of  work  and  ten  years  older? 
A.  He  could  have  had  some  spirits  certainly. 

Q.  Even  if  he  was  out  of  work?  A.  That  would  not 
make  a  man  downcast. 

Q.  I  have  not  asked  you  that.  He  was  married  at 
this  time?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  He  had  got  a  family  of  children?    A.  I  think  so. 

Q.  Five  children?    A.  Four  or  five. 

Q.  And  [  his  wife  living?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  other  words,  do  you  think  you  would  be  as 
cheerful  out  of  work  with  four  or  five  children  on  your 
hands  to  support,  and  a  wife,  and  ten  years  older,  as 
you  would  have  been  ten  years  ago  without  any  respon- 
sibility and  plenty  of  work?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  would  be  just  as  cheerful?    A.  Try  to  be. 

Q.  And  with  H3  the  responsibility  of  the  support  of 
a  wife  and  five  children  upon  your  hands,  as  you  would 
be  if  you  had  a  pocket  full  of  money?  A.  I  think  I 
would  be  more  cheerful. 

Q.  Out  of  work  and —  A.  No,  I  would  be  more 
cheerful  if  I  had  a  pocket  full  of  money. 

Q.  Then  you  were  surprised  to  see  him  less  cheerful, 
when  you  knew  he  had  five  I  children  and  this  respon- 
sibility upon  him  and  had  grown  ten  years  older  and 
was  out  of  work,  were  you  surprised  to  see  him  less 
cheerful  than  he  was  formerly?  A.  I  was  very  much 
surprised. 

Q.  Why?  A.  Because  his  actions  were  altogether 
changed. 

Q.  In  what  were  they  changed?  A.  In  his  social 
conduct  and  everything. 

Q.  He  was  not  as  lively  as  he  had  been?   A.  No,  sir.  [ 

Q.  Was  there  any  other  change?  A.  He  talked 
excitedly  when  he  had  a  conversation. 


190        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  What  conversation  did  you  have  with  him?  A. 
On  different  things. 

Q.  Tell  me  one  thing  you  conversed  about.  A.  I 
asked  him  and  he  told  me  about  his  work  and  his 
family. 

Q.  What  was  the  subject  of  your  conversation?  A. 
I  asked  him  if  he  was  working  and  he  said  no  and  \  he 
told  me  he  had  a  big  family  and  he  could  not  get  any 
work. 

Q.  Then  he  got  excited?  A.  No,  but  he  talked 
excited. 

Q.  Because  he  had  a  large  family  and  no  work? 
A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Do  you  mean  that  he  talked  excitedly  when  he 
talked  about  that?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  not  that  the  only  reason;  do  you  know  of 
any  other  jj4  reason  why  he  talked  excitedly  at  that 
time  except  that  he  was  out  of  work?  A.  I  did  not 
think  he  was  in  his  right  mind. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  other  reason  why  he  talked 
excitedly  except  that  he  was  out  of  work?  A.  No. 

Q.  When  you  shake  your  head  what  do  you  mean? 
A.  I  did  not  shake  my  head  to  you. 

Q.  Do  you  not  \  shake  your  head  every  time  you 
speak?  A.  Yes. 

Q.  Then  you  did  shake  your  head.  Did  you  visit 
him  or  did  he  visit  you  or  how  did  you  happen  to  meet 
him  at  the  church?  A.  He  came  to  church  every 
Sunday  morning. 

Q.  You  met  him  at  the  church?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  visit  him  as  a  committee  of  the  society 
at  all?  A.  No,  sir.  [ 

Q.  Did  he  ever  visit  your  society  during  the  last 
three  years  that  you  knew  him?  A.  Yes,  sir. 


1914  CONTEST  191 

Q.  Where  was  that?    A.  St.  Joseph's  Church. 

Q.  How  frequently  did  he  go  there?  A.  Once  or 
twice  I  met  him. 

Q.  You  took  his  money — did  he  contribute  any 
money?  A.  There  was  nothing  to  pay. 

Q.  It  was  self-sustaining?  A.  Yes,  sir.  I  met  him 
at  a  I  meeting  of  the  society  making  an  arrangement 
for  an  excursion  and  he  attended  two  or  three  meetings. 

Q.  Was  he  one  of  the  committee  on  the  excursion? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  He  was  one  of  the  committee?  A.  Of  the  church; 
not  of  the  excursion. 

Q.  Was  he  one  of  the  committee  of  the  church? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  he  held  that  position  during  the  three  years? 
A.  No,  ][5  he  only  held  that  the  same  as  any  other 
member  of  the  church  for  the  time  being;  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church  were  on  the  committee.  (1400 
words) 


1919  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Detroit) 

150  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.63 

Prior  to  the  meeting  of  July  31,  1917,  the  members 
of  the  board  residing  in  the  City  of  New  York  had  held 
a  number  of  informal  conferences  with  reference  to  the 
work  to  be  done,  \  and  considerable  correspondence  has 
been  carried  on  through  the  year  with  the  idea  of  formu- 
lating a  definite  program  as  to  what  should  be  done  for 
the  proper  care  of  the  Beale  collection,  to  provide  for 
the  exchange  of  {  duplicate  books  and  pamphlets  con- 
tained therein  for  other  manuscripts,  books  or  pam- 
phlets which  it  is  desirable  to  acquire,  and  concerning 
the  rules  and  regulations  under  which  such  exchanges 
should  be  conducted,  and  also  under  which  the  collec- 
tion [  should  be  made  of  the  largest  possible  avail- 
ability to  the  members  of  the  Association. 

At  the  meeting  in  New  York,  however,  after  a  very 
full  discussion,  the  Board,  by  unanimous  vote,  decided 
that  it  would  be  unwise  at  [J1  this  particular  time  to 
adopt  rules  and  regulations,  or  to  make  different 
arrangements  for  the  exchange  of  duplicates  contained 
within  the  collection,  or  to  take  any  steps  toward  the 
placing  of  valuations  upon  such  manuscripts,  books, 
and  I  pamphlets,  as  are  available  for  exchange  pur- 

192 


1919  CONTEST  193 

poses,  for  the  reason  that  the  board  found,  before 
action  on  these  matters  is  taken,  the  matter  of  vesting 
the  title  to  the  Beale  collection  in  the  New  York  Public 
Library  should  ]  be  again  brought  before  the  National 
Association.  It  is  apparent  that  if,  after  full  considera- 
tion of  the  matter,  the  Association  should  deem  it  wise 
to  vest  the  title  to  the  collection  in  the  New  York 
Public  Library,  [  or  in  some  other  similar  institution, 
then,  in  that  event,  the  method  or  basis  for  conducting 
exchanges  and  the  rules  and  regulations  under  which 
the  right  of  the  members  of  our  Association  to  have 
full  access  to  the  []2  collection  for  purposes  of  examina- 
tion and  otherwise,  would  be  of  no  value,  and  the 
necessary  work  and  labor  involved  in  the  preparation 
of  the  same  would  go  for  naught. 

The  correspondence  which  the  members  of  the  Board  | 
have  carried  on  between  themselves  during  the  past 
year,  and  the  sentiment  of  the  present  collectors  in  the 
United  States  as  it  has  been  ascertained,  clearly  show 
that  we  cannot  expect  greatly  to  increase  the  Beale 
collection  with  \  books,  manuscripts  and  specimens, 
which  it  is  highly  desirable  to  obtain,  unless  the  ques- 
tion of  the  permanency  of  the  collection  is  placed 
beyond  doubt.  At  the  present  time  that  is  not  the 
case.  If  anything  should  happen  [  to  the  Association 
whereby  it  should  cease  to  exist,  the  Beale  collection 
would  of  necessity  be  dissipated.  If  for  any  reason, 
or  on  any  account,  the  National  Association  should  be 
unwisely  managed  and  plunged  into  debt,  this  very  ||3 
valuable  collection,  being  one  of  the  present  assets 
which  the  Association  has,  would  be  in  danger  of  attach- 
ment and  of  being  sold  for  the  purpose  of  satisfying 
the  liabilities  of  the  Association.  As  long  as  this  danger 
I  exists  and  the  condition  remains  as  it  is  at  present, 


194        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

it  is  not  possible  for  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  secure 
from  prominent  collectors  of  shorthand  books  any  of 
the  many  valuable  specimens  which  exist  outside  of 
those  I  now  included  in  the  collection  itself.  The 
moment,  however,  that  the  title  of  the  collection  is 
vested  in  a  legal  manner  in  an  institution  of  the  solidity 
and  permanency  of  the  New  York  Public  Library,  or 
of  |  some  similar  institution  of  equal  solidity  and  finan- 
cial strength,  your  trustees  will  be  able  to  assure  our 
members  that  there  will  be,  within  a  very  short  time, 
deposited  with  and  made  a  part  of  the  Beale  Collection, 
quite  U4  a  number  of  very  rare  and  valuable  works 
which  are  not  at  the  present  time  included  in  the  col- 
lection. The  Board  of  Trustees  is  clearly  of  the  opinion 
that  it  is  highly  desirable  to  make  the  Beale  \  Collec- 
tion the  nucleus  for  the  largest  and  most  valuable 
shorthand  library  on  the  American  continent.  Such  a 
result,  however,  cannot  be  obtained  as  long  as  the  pos- 
sibility remains  of  the  collection  being  broken  up  and 
its  constituent  parts  \  passing  again  into  the  hands  of 
private  owners. 

While  this  matter  of  vesting  the  title  was  discussed 
to  some  extent  at  the  Philadelphia  convention,  it  does 
not  appear  from  the  minutes  that  when  the  resolution 
providing  for  j  the  appointment  of  the  present  Board 
of  Trustees  was  reported  that  the  matter  received  any 
attention  or  was  in  any  way  discussed  by  the  members 
of  the  Association.  Whatever  discussion  of  the  ques- 
tion took  place,  so  far  as  [  | 5  the  records  show (750 

words) 


1919  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
-  (Detroit) 

175  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.64 

I  am  in  receipt  of  your  letter  of  July  18th,  and  it 
gives  me  pleasure  to  comply  with  your  request  for  my 
opinion  with  respect  to  the  validity  and  advisability  of 
reservations  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  in  entering 
the  proposed  \  League  of  Nations. 

Permit  me  to  state  at  the  outset  the  point  of  view 
from  which  I  think  the  questions  should  be  approached. 
There  is  plain  need  for  a  league  of  nations  in  order  to 
provide  for  the  adequate  development  of  international 
law,  for  [  creating  and  maintaining  organs  of  inter- 
national justice  and  the  machinery  of  conciliation  and 
conference,  and  for  giving  effect  to  measures  of  inter- 
national co-operation  which  from  time  to  time  may  be 
agreed  upon.  There  is  also  the  immediate  exigency  to 
be  considered.  It  is  manifest  ]  that  every  reasonable 
effort  should  be  made  to  establish  peace  as  promptly 
as  possible  and  to  bring  about  a  condition  in  which 
Europe  can  resume  its  normal  industrial  activity. 

I  perceive  no  reason  why  these  objects  cannot  be 
attained  without  sacrificing  the  essential  interests  \\l 
of  the  United  States.  There  is  a  middle  ground  between 
aloofness  and  injurious  commitments. 

195 


196        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

I  share  the  regrets  that  suitable  steps  have  not  been 
taken  for  the  formation  of  international  legal  prin- 
ciples and  to  secure  judicial  determination  of  inter- 
national disputes  by  impartial  tribunals,  ]  and  that  the 
hope  of  the  world  in  the  determination  of  disputes  has 
been  made  to  rest  so  largely  upon  the  decision  of  bodies 
likely  to  be  controlled  by  considerations  of  expediency. 
There  is  merit  enough  in  the  proposed  plan  to  make 
it  desirable  |  to  secure  it,  if  proper  safeguards  can  be 
obtained,  but  it  is  just  as  futile  to  exaggerate  its  value 
as  it  is  to  see  nothing  but  its  defects.  One  must  take  a 
light-hearted  view  of  conditions  in  the  world  to  assume 
that  the  I  proposed  plan  will  guarantee  peace,  or  bring 
about  a  cessation  of  intrigue  and  of  the  rivalries  of 
interests,  or  prevent  nations  which  cannot  protect 
themselves  from  being  compelled  to  yield  to  unjust 
demands  where  for  any  reason  great  powers  deem 
resistance  inexpedient.  Rather,  the  [  \ 2  proposed  cove- 
nant should  be  viewed  as  a  mere  beginning,  and  while 
it's  important  that  we  should  have  a  beginning,  it  is 
equally  important  that  we  should  not  make  a  false 
start. 

I  think  that  the  prudent  course  is  to  enter  the  pro- 
posed League  \  with  reservations  of  a  reasonable  char- 
acter, adequate  to  our  security,  which  should  meet 
ready  assent,  and  thus  to  establish  a  condition  of  amity 
at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 

As  to  the  validity  of  reservations:  This  question 
has  two  aspects;  first,  with  respect  to  the  \  action  on 
our  part  which  is  essential  to  the  making  of  reserva- 
tions; and  second,  as  to  the  effect  of  reservations  upon 
other  parties  to  the  Treaty. 

As  to  the  first  question,  it  is  manifest  that  attempted 
reservations  will  be  ineffectual  unless  they  qualify  the  [ 


1919  CONTEST  197 

act  of  ratification.  The  adoption  of  resolutions  by  the 
Senate  setting  forth  its  views  will  not  affect  the  obli- 
gations of  the  covenant,  if  it  is  in  fact  ratified  without 
reservations  which  constitute  part  of  the  instrument  of 
ratification. 

If  the  Senate  should  adopt  reservations  [[3  by  a 
majority  vote,  I  assume  that  these  will  be  made  a  part 
of  the  proposed  resolution  of  assent  to  the  Treaty, 
and  the  question  will  then  be  whether  the  Senate  will 
give  its  assent,  with  these  reservations,  by  the  requisite 
two-thirds  \  vote.  If  the  proposed  reservations  are 
reasonable,  the  responsibility  for  the  defeat  of  the 
Treaty,  if  it  is  defeated,  will  lie  with  those  who  refuse 
the  vote  essential  to  assent.  If  the  Senate  gives  its 
assent  to  the  Treaty,  with  reservations,  the  concurrence 
of  I  the  President  will  still  be  necessary,  as  ratification 
will  not  be  complete  without  his  action,  and  the  respon- 
sibility for  a  refusal  to  give  the  ratification  with  the 
reservations  as  adopted  by  the  Senate  as  a  part  of  the 
instrument  of  ratification  would  thus  lie  I  with  the 
President. 

Assuming  that  the  reservations  are  made  as  a  part 
of  the  instrument  of  ratification,  the  other  parties  to 
the  Treaty  will  be  notified  accordingly.  As  a  contract, 
the  Treaty,  of  course,  will  bind  only  those  who  consent 
to  it.  The  nation  JJ4  making  reservations  as  a  part  of 
the  instrument  of  ratification  is  not  bound  further  than 
it  agrees  to  be  bound.  And  if  a  reservation,  as  a  part 
of  the  ratification,  makes  a  material  addition  to,  or  a 
substantial  change  in  the  proposed  Treaty,  [  other 
parties  will  not  be  bound  unless  they  assent.  It  should 
be  added  that  where  a  treaty  is  made  on  the  part  of  a 
number  of  nations,  they  may  acquiesce  in  a  partial 
ratification  on  the  part  of  one  or  more. 


198        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

But  where  there  [  is  simply  a  statement  of  the  inter- 
pretation placed  upon  clauses  in  the  Treaty,  whether 
or  not  the  statement  is  called  a  reservation,  the  case  is 
really  not  one  of  amendment,  and  acquiescence  of  the 
other  parties  to  the  Treaty  may  be  readily  inferred, 
unless  I  express  objection  is  made  after  notice  has  been 
received  of  the  ratification  with  the  interpretative 
statement  forming  a  part  of  it. 

Statements,  to  safeguard  our  interests,  which  clarify 
ambiguous  clauses  in  the  covenant  by  setting  forth 
our  interpretation  of  them,  can  meet  with  no  jj5  rea- 
sonable objection.  (875  words) 


1919  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Detroit) 

200  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.42 
Ladies: 

I  believe  this  is  the  first  political  campaign  in  which  a 
presidential  candidate  has  addressed  his  remarks  to 
an  audience  composed  entirely  of  ladies  and  discussed 
an  economic  question  before  those  who  do  not  vote 
upon  it,  and  yet  I  offer  no  apology.  On  the  contrary, 
I  deem  it  ]  not  only  a  great  privilege  but  a  great  honor. 
My  experience  teaches  me  that  the  mother  and  the 
wife  are  important  members  of  the  family.  In  fact, 
if  I  could  only  have  one  I  would  rather  have  the  wife 
on  my  side  in  the  beginning  of  the  campaign  than  the  j 
husband.  I  will  tell  you  why:  If  I  have  the  wife  I  am 
almost  sure  to  have  the  husband  before  the  campaign 
is  over,  and  if  I  only  have  the  husband  I  am  never  sure 
of  keeping  him. 

Another  thing:  Some  of  the  best  arguments  which 
have  been  advanced  on  \  this  subject  have  been 
advanced  by  the  women.  It  is  said  that  necessity  is 
the  mother  of  invention,  and  it  is  certainly  true  that 
the  best  arguments  arise  from  our  own  experiences. 
The  women  have  been  learning  from  experience  what 
the  gold  standard  means.  A  lady  who  was  canvassing 
in  H1  Nebraska  gave  utterance  the  other  day  to  one  of 

199 


200        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

the  best  things  which  this  campaign  has  thus  far  pro- 
duced. She  called  at  our  house  to  secure  some  literature 
on  the  silver  question  to  circulate  as  she  went  from  place 
to  place,  and  while  there  remarked  that  she  had  a 
brother  [  who  was  a  gold  man  without  any  gold.  She 
said  that  she  could  understand  how  a  man  could  be  a 
gold  man  if  he  had  the  gold,  but  that  she  could  only 
pity  a  gold  man  without  any  gold. 

And  yet,  this  is  the  condition  in  which  a  large  major- 
ity I  of  gold  men  find  themselves — they  are  gold  men 
without  any  gold.  When  you  find  a  gold  man  without 
the  gold  you  find  one  whom  you  can  convert.  He  has 
simply  been  misled.  While  the  gold  standard  is  a  good 
thing  for  a  few,  it  is  a  bad  thing  for  \  the  great  majority 
of  the  American  people.  Our  cause  grows  from  day  to 
day,  and  the  reason  for  the  growth  is  found  in  the  fact 
that  the  arguments  we  advance  appeal  to  the  heads  of 
those  who  think  and  to  the  hearts  of  those  who  feel, 
while  the  gold  standard  \\z  appeals  only  to  the  heartless. 
The  wives  and  mothers  are  taking  a  deeper  interest 
than  usual  in  this  campaign  because  they  are  becoming 
acquainted  with  the  effects  of  the  gold  standard. 
They  know  that  instead  of  being  a  just  measure  of 
deferred  payments,  the  gold  standard  has  become  a 
measure  I  of  deferred  hope — and  hope  deferred  maketh 
the  heart  sick. 

The  money  question  is  not  too  deep  to  be  understood 
by  the  American  people.  The  great  questions  of  state 
are,  after  all,  simple  in  their  last  analysis.  Every 
great  political  question  is  first  a  great  economic  ques- 
tion, and  every  great  \  economic  question  is  in  reality  a 
great  moral  question.  Questions  are  not  settled  until 
the  right  and  wrong  of  the  questions  are  determined. 
Questions  are  not  settled  by  a  discussion  of  the  details; 


1919  CONTEST  201 

they  are  not  settled  until  the  people  grasp  the  funda- 
mental principles,  and  when  these  principles  are  fully  | 
comprehended,  then  the  people  settle  the  question  and 
they  settle  it  for  a  generation.  The  people  are  studying 
the  money  question,  studying  it  as  they  have  not 
studied  it  before;  aye,  studying  it  as  they  have  been 
studying  no  economic  question  before  in  your  lifetime 
or  mine;  and  studying  [I3  means  understanding.  To 
study  we  must  commence  at  the  foundation  and  reason 
upward. 

I  remember  hearing  a  sermon  preached  once,  in  the 
course  of  which  the  preacher  illustrated  the  difficulty 
which  people  sometimes  encounter  in  the  study  of  a 
great  question.  He  said  that  if  one  attempted  to  draw 
a  I  tree  through  a  narrow  gate  by  taking  hold  of  one  of 
the  branches,  he  would  find  that  the  other  branches 
would  spread  out  so  that  he  could  not  get  the  tree 
through  the  gate;  but  that  if  he  would  take  the  stem 
or  trunk  of  the  tree  and  pull  that  [  through  first,  then 
he  would  have  no  difficulty.  I  often  think  of  that 
illustration.  A  study  of  the  details  without  a  knowledge 
of  the  principles  involved  is  only  confusing,  but  a 
study  of  principles  makes  the  details  plain.  I  was 
out  in  the  West  about  a  year  ago,  and  I  [  noticed  their 
great  systems  of  irrigation,  and  as  I  watched  those 
canals  wending  their  way  through  the  valleys,  this 
thought  came  to  me :  Upon  what  principle  is  irrigation 
based?  And  then  it  occurred  to  me  that  the  principle 
was  a  very  simple  one,  namely,  that  water  runs  down 
hill.  Now  [I4  the  person  who  does  not  understand  that 
water  runs  down  hill  can  never  make  a  success  of  irri- 
gation; but  when  a  person  understands  that  water 
runs  down  hill,  then  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  dig  a  ditch 
with  a  slight  fall  and  he  can  carry  water  anywhere. 


202        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

So  [  in  the  study  of  the  money  question.  If  you  fail 
to  understand  the  fundamental  principles,  you  study 
in  vain. 

Now  what  is  the  first  great  principle?  It  is  that  the 
value  of  the  dollar  depends  upon  the  number  of  dol- 
lars. Dollars  can  be  made  dear  or  cheap  by  changing 
the  I  quantity  of  them.  This  is  a  simple  proposition, 
it  is  fundamental,  and  when  you  understand  it  you 
understand  the  most  important  thing  about  the  money 
question.  When  you  understand  the  value  of  a  dollar 
depends  upon  the  number  of  dollars,  then  you  not  only 
understand  what  a  change  in  the  I  volume  of  money 
means,  but  you  understand  who  is  benefited  by  it,  and 
why  those  who  are  benefited  by  it  desire  it.  Let  me 
illustrate  the  principle.  Let  us  suppose  ourselves  walled 
in  here  with  just  enough  wheat  within  the  enclosure 
to  last  us  a  year;  and  let  us  suppose  U5  that,  taking  the 
supply  and  demand  into  consideration,  wheat  is  worth 
a  dollar  a  bushel.  (1000  words) 


1919  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Detroit) 

215  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.54 

The  advantages  gained  by  these  rather  innocent 
methods  of  graft,  however,  were  infinitely  small,  if 
compared  with  those  of  which  the  wives  of  officers 
could  boast  whose  husbands  were  serving  in  the  occu- 
pied territories.  These  officers  deserve  to  be  called 
excellent  providers.  They  procured  from  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Belgium,  France,  and  Poland  hundredweights  j 
of  provisions,  and  sent  them  home  in  mail  packages  or 
by  soldiers  returning  on  furlough.  One,  being  in  com- 
mand of  a  conquered  village,  received  them  from  the 
peasants  probably  as  a  tribute  of  gratitude  for  the 
mildness  with  which  he  had  treated  them.  Another, 
in  charge  of  a  military  hospital  thought  perhaps  that 
what  [  he  sent  home  could  easily  be  spared  from  the 
abundant  supplies  requisitioned  for  the  use  of  his 
institution.  Still  another,  an  interpreter  in  a  prison 
camp,  had  many  hams  and  bacon  sides  thrust  upon  him 
by  relatives  of  enemy  prisoners  whom  he  helped  to 
escape  German  justice  in  the  military  court  by  revising 
the  I  testimony. 

The  gradual  exhaustion  of  the  German  stock  of 
articles  of  clothing  and  household  articles  kept  step 

203 


with  that  of  the  food  supply.  The  conditions  that 
caused  it  and  the  reason  why  it  became  so  great  a  calam- 
ity, especially  for  the  middle  classes,  were  the  same  in 
both  cases.  There  was  hoarding,  confiscation  and  \\l 
distribution  by  the  authorities,  and,  as  an  unavoidable 
consequence,  grafting  by  the  rich  and  the  war  profiteers. 
There  was  an  attempt  to  find  substitutes  for  the  materi- 
als barred  out  by  the  blockade.  There  was  the  mess 
that  did  not  nourish,  and  the  trash  that  did  not  clothe, 
as,  for  instance,  the  articles  of  I  apparel  made  of  paper 
and  fiber,  which  were  not  only  ugly  and  unpractical, 
but  also  very  expensive.  There  was  loss  of  physical 
and  mental  power  owing  to  malnutrition,  and  loss  of 
self-respect  owing  to  seediness  in  dress. 

As  the  months  passed  permits  were  required  for  the 
purchase  of  more  and  more  varieties  of  [  materials  for 
clothing  and  personal  and  household  use,  and  of  articles 
made  of  these  materials,  until,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  articles  of  luxury,  nothing  in  that  line  could  be 
bought  freely.  Men  received  a  permit  to  buy  a  new 
suit  only  if  they  handed  to  the  municipal  authorities  a 
written  declaration  to  |  the  effect  that  they  possessed 
no  other  suit  in  a  wearable  condition.  This  declaration 
the  authorities  were  entitled  to  verify  by  means  of  an 
examination  of  the  applicant's  wardrobe.  He,  however, 
who  voluntarily  delivered  to  the  authorities  an  old 
suit  received  a  permit  to  buy  a  new  one  without  being 
required  to  reveal  the  \\2  extent  of  his  present  wardrobe, 
and  he  was  paid  for  the  suit  he  had  given  up  according 
to  its  appraised  value.  Similar  restrictions  were  placed 
upon  the  purchase  of  other  articles;  permits  to  buy 
them  were  only  obtained  with  great  difficulty  once 
each  year  and  limited  to  small  quantities.  A  woman 
who  still  I  had  towels,  but  needed  napkins,  was  not 


1919  CONTEST  205 

permitted  to  purchase  the  latter,  but  told  to  use  her 
towels  as  napkins.  The  use  of  table-cloths  in  restau- 
rants was  forbidden;  housewives  were  obliged  to  use 
their  table-cloths  as  bed-sheets  after  their  supply  of 
the  latter  had  been  exhausted. 

As  a  separate  permit  was  [  required  for  each  article 
and  had  to  be  taken  to  the  municipal  office  personally 
or  by  messenger,  many  people  chose  to  be  ragged  and 
untidy  rather  than  to  answer  humiliating  questions 
concerning  the  quantity  and  condition  of  their  wearing 
apparel  and  to  sacrifice  the  time  and  strength  necessary 
to  obtain  a  permit.  As  a  [  consequence,  many  articles 
with  which  the  stores  were  still  well  stocked  failed  to 
get  into  the  hands  of  people  who  were  greatly  in  want 
of  them.  Sole  leather  became  unobtainable,  so  that 
only  those  could  wear  shoes  with  leather  soles  who,  at 
the  beginning  of  the  war,  had  provided  themselves  with 
footwear  for  several  []3  years  to  come.  All  others  had 
to  use  wooden  soles,  or  have  the  soles  of  their  old  shoes 
patched  with  small  pieces  of  leather  fastened  over  the 
torn  places. 

But  more  painfully  felt  even  than  the  lack  of  shoes 
was  that  of  soap,  for,  as  a  last  resort,  a  man  could  walk 
in  |  a  pair  of  jointed  wooden  sandals,  but  he  could  not 
possibly  keep  clean  using  the  piece  of  horribly  scented 
clay  which  the  Government  permitted  him  to  buy. 

Since  my  return  to  America  I  have  frequently  heard 
the  statements  that  the  German  civil  population  felt 
sure  until  the  end  that  its  armies  would  win  a  I  con- 
clusive victory.  I  do  not  share  this  opinion.  It  must 
be  taken  into  consideration  that  presentations  of  an 
opposite  tendency,  had  naturally,  not  the  slightest 
chance  to  attain  publicity.  Only  by  personal  contact 
with  people  of  different  classes  and  by  conversation 


206        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

with  them  was  it  possible,  therefore,  to  ascertain  what 
they  thought  at  any  {  time  of  the  war  concerning  their 
chances  to  win.  As  long  as  they  had  only  to  suffer 
personal  privations,  however  hard,  the  Germans  in 
Berlin  with  whom  I  spoke  trusted  that,  if  they  could 
only  bear  them  long  enough,  their  armed  forces,  amply 
supplied  as  they  thought  with  all  the  necessities  of  war, 
would  [I4  prevail  in  the  end. 

But  when  the  Government  was  compelled  to  seize 
church  bells  to  use  for  ammunition  and  when  it  entered 
the  private  households  to  confiscate  for  the  same  pur- 
pose the  objects  of  daily  use  made  of  copper,  brass,  and 
aluminum,  down  to  the  smallest  serving  platter^  I 
heard  many,  who  were  [  honest  enough  to  express  their 
true  opinion,  say  that  they  feared  the  lack  of  raw 
materials  might  cause  Germany  to  lose  the  war,  and 
those  that  did  not  express  that  fear  openly,  must  have 
shared  it  secretly  when  even  the  doors  of  their  cooking 
and  tile  heating  stoves,  their  door  knobs  and  window 
fastenings  |  had  to  be  delivered  up  for  ammunition 
purposes.  He  must  have  been  a  very  foolish  man, 
even  for  a  German  patriot,  who  with  this  evidence  to 
the  contrary  in  his  own  household,  could  still  believe 
that  all  was  well  at  the  front. 

As  in  the  winter,  there  were  not  enough  street- 
cleaners  to  be  I  found  to  clear  the  snow  from  the  streets, 
the  municipalities  of  Greater  Berlin  ordered  the  citi- 
zens to  do  this  work.  Tenants  of  houses  had  to  do  their 
share  under  the  direction  of  the  janitors,  who  were 
held  responsible  by  the  police  for  the  performance  of 
the  work  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  How  did  you  H5 
like  it  when  your  janitor (1075  words) 


1919  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Detroit) 

230  Words  a  Minute— Certificate 
(Dictated  at  203  words  a  minute) 

LITERARY  MATTER 

Syllable  Intensity,  1.55 

It  would  be  idle  for  me  to  take  the  time  of  you  gentle- 
men in  any  attempt  to  elaborate  upon  the  advantages 
to  be  derived  from  concerted  action  on  the  part  of 
those  connected  with  the  shorthand  profession  in  the 
United  States.  In  this  day  to  urge  upon  any  body  of  | 
workers  the  advantages  of  organization,  is,  to  say  the 
least,  not  in  keeping  with  the  spirit  of  the  times.  We 
cannot  look  about  us  in  any  direction  without  having 
our  attention  drawn  to  the  remarkable  things  which 
have  been  brought  about  by  organization  of  one  kind 
or  another ;  from  the  gigantic  {  combinations  with  their 
millions  of  capital,  and  the  consolidation  under  single 
managements  of  our  largest  industrial  enterprises,  to 
the  organization  of  various  professions,  each  seeking 
by  united  effort  the  advancement,  not  only  of  the 
interests  of  the  individual  members,  but  the  better- 
ment of  the  calling  represented.  It  is,  indeed,  a  day  [ 
of  organization  and  specialization  from  one  end  of 
God's  footstool  to  the  other. 

What  should  particularly  interest  us,  as  members  of 
the  National  Association  of  Shorthand  Reporters,  is 

207 


208        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

what  can  we  do  at  this  time,  as  individuals  and  in  our 
collective  capacity  as  an  organization,  to  further  our 
mutual  interests?  The  U1  constitution  under  which  we 
operate  tells  us  at  its  very  outset  that: 

"The  objects  of  this  organization  shall  be  to  secure 
the  benefits  resulting  from  organized  effort;  the  recog- 
nition and  promotion  of  professional  ethics;  to  foster 
a  scientific  spirit  in  the  profession ;  to  secure  the  main- 
tenance of  a  proper  standard  \  of  efficiency  and  com- 
pensation; the  enlightenment  of  the  public  as  to  the 
possibilities  and  limitations  of  shorthand;  the  pro- 
motion and  maintenance  of  proper  stenographic  laws; 
and  in  general  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  the 
profession." 

What  a  grand  program  of  achievement  this  is  to 
contemplate!  What  a  happy  condition  would  ]  be 
brought  about  could  we  induce  each  member  to  keep 
this  simple  text  where  he  could  read  it  daily  and  resolve 
that  he  would  let  no  day  pass  without  even  in  some 
small  way  contributing  something  toward  the  carry- 
ing out  of  the  splendid  thought  contained  in  the 
declared  object  of  the  |  existence  of  this  organization! 
From  a  material  or  practical  point  of  view,  unless  as 
individuals  we  are  each  prepared  to  do  what  we  can  in 
this  direction,  then  our  organization  can  never  hope  to 
attain  any  great  degree  of  success.  That  during  the 
few  years  which  have  elapsed  since  the  first  jj2  meeting 
of  this  organization  much  has  been  accomplished,  no 
one  will  question,  and  when  we  consider  the  conditions 
under  which  the  work  has  been  done  we  can  have  noth- 
ing but  commendation  for  the  magnificent  results 
brought  about  by  the  few  able  workers  who  have  thus 
far  carried  the  burden  on  J  their  shoulders.  What  has 
been  accomplished  amidst  these  adverse  conditions  is 


1919  CONTEST  209 

the  best  proof  of  what  can  be  done  if  the  enthusiasm 
of  a  reasonable  proportion  of  the  reporters  throughout 
the  country  can  be  aroused. 

There  may  be  some  who,  from  a  casual  observation 
of  what  has  been  accomplished,  feel  that  ]  we  have  not 
sufficient  to  show  in  the  way  of  results  for  the  period 
during  which  we  have  been  organized,  and  from  such 
superficial  investigation  tell  us  that  the  gain  has  not 
been  worth  the  powder. 

While  we  do  not  claim  to  have  thus  far  blazed  a 
path  through  the  forest  [  of  our  difficulties,  nor  by  any 
means  leveled  all  the  hills  nor  made  straight  all  the 
paths  of  our  troubles,  yet  I  believe  we  can  satisfy  any 
reasonable  mind  that,  considering  the  conditions  sur- 
rounding the  work,  much  real  progress  has  been  made. 
Medical  science,  for  instance,  during  the  past  decade 
has  II3  worked  wonders,  but  even  it  has  not  found  a 
remedy  for  all  the  ills  man  is  heir  to.  Nevertheless 
medical  science  is  constantly  making  some  progress; 
each  month  and  each  year  is  productive  of  some 
definite  tangible  result,  and  for  this  reason  we  are 
encouraged  to  feel  that  progress  in  \  that  field  is  surely 
and  certainly  being  made.  So  it  is  in  the  case  of  almost 
every  other  art  and  science.  So  it  should  be  in  our  case. 
The  question  for  us  to  determine  is  have  we  collectively 
made  that  degree  of  progress  which  we  should  reason- 
ably expect,  and  if  not,  [  why  not?  That  is  a  good  time 
to  look  back  and  ascertain  to  what  extent  have  we  as 
an  organization  gone  forward  in  our  march  toward  the 
goal  of  perfection  which  we  should  have  constantly 
before  us.  As  we  review  our  work,  as  we  should  each 
year,  what  definite  progress  can  |  we  see  as  the  result 
of  our  efforts  during  the  past  year?  If  we  cannot 
conscientiously  feel  that  reasonable  progress  has  been 


210        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

made,  then  we  must  surely  chide  ourselves  for  per- 
mitting these  twelve  golden  months  to  have  come  and 
gone  with  no  positive  improvement  to  show.  We  owe 
it  to  ourselves  H4  as  individuals  living  in  these  practical, 
progressive  times  to  be  able  to  show  each  year  some 
advancement;  we  become  in  that  period  a  year  older, 
with  one  year  less  in  which  to  accomplish  the  work  we 
have  undertaken  to  carry  out.  If  we  have  not  during 
that  period  stored  up  I  for  future  use  our  share  of  the 
material  things  in  life,  and  as  an  organization  accom- 
plished something  definite  that  will  tend  toward  the 
betterment  of  the  calling  we  represent,  then  we  cannot 
look  back  with  that  degree  of  satisfaction  that  should 
be  ours  and  say  to  old  Father  Time  that  while  J  he 
was  occupied  we  were  not  idle. 

Among  organizations  and  among  individuals  too 
many  are  inclined  to  take  a  pessimistic  view  of  the 
affairs  of  everyday  life.  To  "let  well  enough  alone" 
brings  contentment  to  such  for  the  time  being,  and, 
perhaps,  temporarily,  more  peace  of  mind  than  the  old 
saying  \  "Be  up  and  doing."  Such  people  fail  to  recall 
the  old  saying  that  "labor  is  the  price  which  nature's 
law  has  set  upon  everything  worth  having."  If  there 
are  among  us  any  who  take  the  pessimistic  view  of  the 
work  this  association  stands  for,  we  should  lose  no  time 
in  arousing  jj5  them.  (1015  words) 


1919  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Detroit) 

240  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

JURY  CHARGE 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.43 

Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  the  plaintiff  is  the  owner  of  a 
Packard  limousine  which  was  used  for  renting  purposes, 
and  on  the  morning  of  November  llth  of  last  year,  at 
3:10  A.  M.,  he  came  up  Seventh  Avenue,  reached  124th 
Street,  turned  west  in  between  the  two  grass  plots  in  the 
center  of  Seventh  Avenue,  \  and  said  that  he  was  cross- 
ing the  south  roadway  to  go  to  the  garage,  which  was 
on  124th  Street  between  Seventh  and  Eighth  Avenues, 
when  the  Packard  car  was  struck  in  the  rear  by  a  car 
owned  by  the  defendant,  the  Black  and  White  Company, 
and  he  brings  this  action  against  the  Black  and  White 
Company  j  upon  his  claim  that  the  injury  that  his  car 
sustained  at  that  time  by  reason  of  that  collision  was 
due  solely  to  the  negligence  of  the  driver  of  that  taxi, 
while  he  in  driving  his  car  was  not  guilty  of  any  con- 
tributory negligence. 

Now,  the  question  is  presented  to  you  upon  the  facts 
for  you  to  say  just  what  were  \  the  details  of  that 
happening,  and  after  you  have  fixed  the  details  of  the 
happening,  whether  or  not  you  find  that  the  plaintiff 
has  sustained  the  burden  of  proving  by  a  fair  pre- 
ponderance of  the  evidence  that  the  injury  sustained 
by  the  plaintiff's  Packard  car  was  due  to  the  careless 

211 


212        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

driving  of  the  chauffeur  of  the  taxi,  while  the  plaintiff 
I|l  in  driving  his  Packard  limousine  was  not  guilty  of 
any  negligence  and  was  taking  proper  and  reasonable 
care  of  the  safety  of  the  property  under  his  control — 
in  other  words,  his  limousine.  In  driving  automobiles 
chauffeurs  are  called  upon  to  use  the  care  and  caution 
that  reasonably  prudent  and  cautious  chauffeurs  are 
expected  to  use  under  the  circumstances  as  you  \  find 
they  existed  at  that  time  and  place. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  on  Monday  morning. 
Plaintiff's  car  was  going  west  and  the  defendant's  car 
was  going  south.  Plaintiff  says  that  as  he  was  crossing 
between  two  grass  plots,  the  one  running  from  124th 
to  125th  Streets,  and  the  other  from  ]  124th  to  123d 
Streets,  he  saw  this  taxicab  at  a  certain  distance,  as 
was  testified  to,  and  he  would  have  you  find  from  that 
that  in  the  exercise  of  ordinary  care  he  had  ample 
time  in  which  to  make  the  crossing  from  the  grass 
plots  into  124th  Street  west  ]  of  Seventh  Avenue;  and 
he  would  have  you  believe  that  the  defendant's  taxicab 
was  such  a  distance  away  that  in  order  to  hit  him,  as 
he  claims  it  did,  it  must  have  come  at  a  high  rate  of 
speed,  and  that  the  chauffeur  in  handling  that  taxicab 
was  not  using  the  care  and  caution  which  a  reasonably 
skillful  and  careful  J|2  taxicab  chauffeur  would  be 
expected  to  use,  having  in  mind  that  the  plaintiff  was 
crossing  that  street  and  crossing  it  at  the  distance  that 
the  plaintiff  claims  he  was  away  at  that  time. 

Now,  the  defendant,  on  the  other  hand,  contends 
that  not  only  was  the  taxicab  chauffeur  not  guilty  of 
any  negligence,  but  that,  according  to  their  view  and  \ 
their  version  of  the  circumstances  as  they  existed  there, 
the  injuries  sustained  by  the  plaintiff's  car  were  due 
entirely  to  his  own  careless  driving  in  attempting  to 


1919  CONTEST  213 

cross  the  street,  as  they  say,  at  a  high  rate  of  speed  and 
under  circumstances  which  a  reasonably  prudent  man 
would  know  could  not  be  done  in  safety. 

It  is  presented  for  you  [  to  say,  after  you  have  made 
your  analysis  of  these  witnesses  that  have  been  called 
before  you  and  after  you  have  put  the  light  of  your 
common  sense  upon  their  testimony  and  upon  them, 
just  what  were  the  circumstances  at  the  time  that  the 
parties  were  driving,  and  what  they  did  and  all  that, 
and  then  it  is  for  you  [  to  say  whether  or  not  the  plain- 
tiff has  proven  to  you  that  the  accident  was  occasioned 
because  the  taxicab  driver  was  negligent,  and  that  he 
himself  in  driving  his  Packard  car  was  not  negligent. 
If  you  find  that  both  parties  were  negligent,  why  your 
verdict  must  be  for  the  defendant.  Before  the  plain- 
tiff is  entitled  to  recover,  you  must  find  Jj3  it  to  be  the 
fact  that  the  taxicab  driver  was  negligent,  and  that 
the  plaintiff  himself  in  driving  his  Packard  limousine 
was  not  negligent. 

Now,  we  have  heard  mention  of  the  rules  of  the 
road.  The  rules  of  the  road  are  that  if  the  conditions 
are  equal  and  the  parties  equally  distant  from  the  cross- 
ing, the  north  and  south  vehicle  \  has  the  right  of  way 
over  the  east  and  west  vehicle,  and  if  there  is  a  violation 
of  the  rules  of  the  road  by  either  party,  and  the  damage 
was  occasioned  by  the  violation  of  that  rule  of  the  road, 
the  party  violating  it  would  be  guilty  of  such  negligence 
as  would  be  chargeable  against  him,  in  your  determina- 
tion as  I  to  whether  or  not  the  plaintiff  has  sustained 
the  burden  of  proving  that  the  injuries  were  occasioned 
by  the  sole  negligence  of  the  defendant. 

You  gentlemen  understand  from  the  other  cases 
that  you  have  had  with  me  that  by  a  fair  preponderance 
of  the  evidence  is  not  necessarily  meant  the  number  of 


214        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

witnesses.  It  is  the  quality  of  the  testimony.  |  If  you 
find,  after  you  have  determined  what  you  consider  to 
be  the  believable  testimony  supporting  the  plaintiff's 
contention  and  the  defendant's  contention,  that  there 
is  an  even  balance  of  what  you  determine  to  be  the 
credible  testimony,  why  then  the  party  upon  whom 
the  law  has  cast  the  burden  of  proof  in  this  case  has 
not  sustained  his  case  [J4  by  a  fair  preponderance  of 
the  evidence,  and  your  verdict  would  then  have  to  be 
against  him  for  not  sufficiently  strong  proof.  Now, 
gentlemen,  there  is  the  case  so  far  as  that  is  concerned, 
and  if  you  find  that  the  plaintiff  has  sustained  the 
burden  of  proving  that  the  injuries  to  his  car  were  due 
to  the  careless  driving  of  I  the  defendant  chauffeur, 
while  he  in  driving  his  own  car  was  taking  proper  and 
reasonable  care  of  the  property  under  his  control,  he 
is  entitled  to  a  verdict.  Unless  he  has,  j^our  verdict 
must  be  against  him  and  for  the  defendant,  and  if  he 
is  entitled  to  a  verdict,  he  is  entitled  to  be  compensated 
for  what  you  gentlemen  determine  ]  was  the  damage 
sustained  to  his  car. 

Now,  there  has  been  testimony  offered  here  of  what 
was  claimed  to  be  the  damages  to  the  car  and  the 
reasonable  cost  of  making  repairs  and  placing  the  car 
in  the  condition  in  which  it  was  prior  to  the  accident, 
which  came  to  about  $97.  In  addition  to  that,  the 
plaintiff  [  contends  that  the  car  was  laid  up  for  ten 
days,  and  that  the  reasonable  charge  for  the  hiring  of  a 
similar  kind  of  car  to  conduct  his  business  is  &12  per 
day.  If  you  find  that  he  is  entitled  to  a  verdict,  it  is 
for  you  to  say  how  badly  you  believe  his  car  was 
injured  and  what  would  [[5  be  a  reasonable  cost  to  put 
the  car  in  the  condition  in  which  it  was  before  the 
accident.  (1200  words) 


1919  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Detroit) 

280  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

TESTIMONY 

Syllable  Intensity: 

With  Q's  and  A's  1.28 

Without  Q's  and  A's      1.20 
Number  of  Q's  and  A's  155 

Q.  When  did  you  first  see  the  laundry  wagon  on  the 
track  ahead  of  you?  A.  Well,  about  ninety  feet  back. 

Q.  From  where?  A.  From  where  the  accident  hap- 
pened. 

Q.  Is  that  the  first  time  you  saw  the  laundry  wagon 
on  the  track?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  had  it  come  from?  A.  I  did  not  take 
notice  to  it  before  that. 

Q.  Then  you  just  saw  the  laundry  [  wagon  about 
ninety  feet  from  the  point  of  the  accident?  A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  the  laundry  wagon  was  on  the  street  car 
track  going  in  the  same  direction  you  were?  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  And  you  had  not  seen  it  before  that?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  do  not  know  where  it  came  from?  A. 
No. 

Q.  When  you  first  saw  the  laundry  wagon,  how  far 
was  it  ahead  J  of  your  car?  A.  Well,  ninety  feet— 
about  ninety  feet;  that  is,  when  I  first  saw  it. 

215 


216        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  The  laundry  wagon  was  ninety  feet  ahead  of  your 
car?  A.  Yes,  about  that. 

Q.  And  how  far  was  your  car  back  from  where 
these  automobiles  wrere  standing?  A.  Just  the  same 
distance;  he  was  opposite  the  machines  when  I  saw 
him. 

Q.  He  was  directly  opposite  the  machine?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  [  And  you  were  ninety  feet  from  the  automobiles? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  did  the  laundry  wagon  get  off  the  track? 
A.  Yes;  he  got  off  when  he  passed  the  machines. 

Q.  And  which  way  did  he  turn?  A.  He  turned  to 
the  right  in  the  clear. 

Q.  And  he  pulled  in  next  to  the  sidewalk  at  Bates 
Street,  did  he?  A.  Yes,  and  stopped  at  Bates. 

Q.  And  he  stopped  Jj1  at  the  west  side  of  Bates 
Street?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  went  into  a  house,  did  he?  A.  I  did  not  take 
notice. 

Q.  Don't  you  know  that  he  went  into  a  house  for 
laundry?  A.  I  do  not  know;  I  did  not  take  any  notice 
to  that. 

Q.  Didn't  you  hear  him  say  so  the  other  day  at  a 
little  conference  you  had  with  him?  A.  I  believe  {  I 
did  hear  him  say  that. 

Q.  You  heard  him  say  at  a  little  conference  you  had 
the  other  day  that  he  went  into  the  house  for  laundry, 
did  you?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  were  running  at  a  very  slow  rate  of 
speed?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  at  the  time  this  laundry  wagon  was  opposite 
these  automobiles,  was  this  Ford  car  in  motion?  A. 
You  mean  the  I  wagon? 

Q.  When  the  laundry  wagon  was  opposite  the  auto- 


1919  CONTEST  217 

mobiles,  was  the  Ford  car  in  motion?   A.  No;  it  seemed 
to  be  standing  still. 

Q.  And  you  were  running  at  about  ten  miles  an 
hour?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  were  ninety  feet  away  from  it?  A. 
About  ninety  feet,  yes. 

Q.  What  sort  of  a  car  was  this  one  of  yours?  A. 
It  was  a  small  box  car.  { 

Q.  Give  us  the  number  while  you  are  at  it.  A. 
456  was  the  number. 

Q.  What  steps  did  it  have  on  the  righthand  side  of 
the  car?  A.  There  were  two  steps. 

Q.  Was  there  a  step  at  your  cab  on  the  righthand 
side?  A.  No;  not  on  the  righthand  side. 

Q.  Was  there  a  step  in  the  rear  at  the  righthand 
side?  A.  Yes,  \\2  sir. 

Q.  Where  was  the  step  that  you  used  in  getting  out 
of  your  cab?  A.  It  was  to  the  left. 

Q.  That  was  on  the  lef thand  side  of  the  car?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  say  that  the  cab  of  your  car  was  past  before 
the  Ford  car  ran  into  you — is  that  right?  A.  Yes; 
the  front  cab  was  past. 

Q.  And  then  what  did  the  driver  of  the  J  Ford  car 
do?  A.  I  do  not  know;  I  did  not  see.  I  just  under- 
stood— 

Q.  No;  not  what  you  understood.  What  did  he 
do,  if  you  know?  A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  What  did  you  hear?  A.  I  did  not  hear  them  say 
anything;  I  just  stopped  at  Bates  Street  and  came 
back. 

Q.  How  far  did  you  run  after  you  heard  this  noise? 
A.  Well,  about  [  100  feet. 

Q.  Well,  you  stopped  before  you  got  quite  to  Bates 
Street,  did  you?  A.  No. 


218        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  When  did  you  stop?    A.  I  stopped  at  Bates. 

Q.  On  which  side  of  Bates?    A.  On  the  west  side. 

Q.  Which  side  of  Bates — looking  toward  Pittsburgh? 
A.  On  the  Pittsburgh  side. 

Q.  You  stopped  on  that  side  of  Bates?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  long  was  your  car?    A.  About  30  [  feet. 

Q.  When  you  stopped,  did  you  get  out?  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  And  you  went  back  to  see  the  automobile?  A. 
Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  was  the  Ford  car?  A.  It  was  about  seven 
feet  behind  the  other. 

Q.  When  you  went  back?  A.  Well,  no;  it  was 
shoved  right  into  the  rear  of  the  other  machine. 

Q.  In  what  way  was  it  shoved  in?  A.  It  seemed  as 
II3  if  the  right  front  wheel  of  the  Ford  machine  was 
sticking  in  under  the  rear  left  of  the  other  machine. 

Q.  What  part  of  the  rear  left  of  the  other  machine? 
A.  I  just  do  not  remember  very  well. 

Q.  But  the  right  wheel  of  the  Ford  was  in  under 
some  part  of  the  other  car?  A.  Yes. 

Q.  Why  did  you  get  out  of  your  car  and  come  back?  [ 
A.  Well,  I  heard  the  noise  and  I  went  back  to  see. 

Q.  You  knew  something  had  happened,  did  you? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anybody  when  you  went  back  to  the 
machine?  A.  Yes;  I  saw  the  driver,  and  I  think  I 
remember  seeing  the  lady  that  was  in  the  machine  too. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anyone  else?    A.  No. 

Q.  Was  there  anyone  else  there?  A.  j  Yes;  there 
were  several  people  gathered  around  there,  but  I  did 
not  take  notice. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  driver  of  the  first  machine,  the 
Packard  machine?  A.  I  did  not  take  notice  to  him. 


1919  CONTEST  219 

Q.  Did  you  see  him  at  all?  A.  I  may  have  seen  him, 
but  I  did  not  know  him,  you  know. 

Q.  Was  there  any  room  for  the  Ford  car  to  go 
between  your  streetcar  [  and  the  other  automobile? 
A.  No;  I  do  not  think  so. 

Q.  You  are  positive  that  the  front  cab  of  this  street- 
car was  past  the  Ford  automobile  before  the  two  came 
in  contact?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  are  sure  of  that,  are  you?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  are  equally  sure  that  you  did  not  say 
in  the  presence  of  Peter  Blake,  when  you  came  back, 
"My  God,  [I4  I  never  seen  it"?  You  are  positive  of 
that,  you  are?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Sure  of  that?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  undertaken  to  figure  out  how  far 
your  car  would  travel  in  going  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles 
an  hour — that  is,  how  many  feet?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  When  you  first  saw  the  two  automobiles,  do  I 
understand  you  that  the  Ford  car  was  \  not  in  motion? 
A.  When  I  first  saw  them,  they  were  standing  still,  so 
far  as  I  could  see. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  Ford  car  back?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  How  fast  was  the  laundry  wagon  going?  A. 
It  did  not  seem  to  be  going  very  fast. 

Q.  Then  he  did  not  get  off  the  track  until  he  got  to 
the  point  where  he  wanted  to  stop?  A.  Yes;  |  I  think 
so. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  people  in  the  Ford  automobile 
before  the  accident?  A.  Yes;  I  saw  the  driver. 

Q.  Any  one  else?    A.  No. 

Q.  How  many  people  were  in  it?  A.  I  could  not 
say. 

Q.  How  far  were  you  behind  the  laundry  wagon 
when  it  pulled  off  the  track?  A.  I  do  not  know  that. 


220        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  some  estimate?  A.  It  \  might 
have  been  something  like  thirty  feet. 

Q.  Was  it  as  much  as  that?  A.  It  was  about  that 
much. 

Q.  That  is  your  best  judgment?  A.  That  is  my 
judgment. 

Q.  Then  I  understand  that  you  did  not  see  the  Ford 
car  move  at  any  time?  A.  Yes;  he  was  moving  slowly 
in  the  clear  when  the  fender  passed. 

Q.  Oh,  you  did  see  him  in  motion?  A.  Yes,  ][5 
sir;  slowly. 

Q.  Which  way  was  he  moving?     (1400  words) 


1920  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

150  Words  a  Minute— Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.32 

It  was  not  so  long  ago  that  a  vacation  with  pay  was 
unknown  in  the  great  cities  of  this  country,  but  vaca- 
tions with  pay  are  now  generally  given  and  most  of  the 
people  have  formed  the  habit  \  of  taking  at  least  a  few 
weeks  off  from  work  every  year.  Is  it  not  interesting 
to  see  men  and  women  planning  for  their  vacations 
from  the  regular  routine?  As  far  as  I  can  see  there  is 
no  I  system  used  so  that  from  year  to  year  the  things 
are  done  that  ought  to  be  done,  for  it  may  be  said, 
generally  speaking,  that  what  you  ought  to  do  on  a 
vacation  and  what  you  really  [  do  are  two  different 
things. 

For  some,  the  memory  of  a  fishing  trip  during  a 
previous  vacation  lives  through  the  entire  year,  and 
they  go  back  to  the  same  lake  or  streams  to  take  up  the 
same  fishing  jj1  rod  as  though  but  a  night  had  come  and 
gone.  Other  people  look  forward  from  season  to  season 
to  a  trip  in  an  automobile  to  some  part  of  the  country 
they  have  never  seen,  to  see  the  \  green  grass,  the  leafy 
trees,  and  the  beautiful  flowers.  Others  long  for  the 
time  of  the  year  to  come  again  when  they  can  take  a 
trip  to  a  large  city,  where  there  is  plenty  of  noise, 

221 


222        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

great  masses  ]  of  people  and  the  hurry  and  rush  of  a 
great  city.  All  seek  a  change  in  scenery,  thought, 
and  action. 

I  remember  a  vacation  I  took  four  or  five  years  ago 
by  the  side  of  the  sea.  [  The  breeze  from  the  sea  seemed 
to  renew  my  vigor  in  a  way  that  nothing  else  had  ever 
done.  In  those  hot  days  in  August  I  found  a  swim  in 
the  pleasant  waters  of  the  sea  and  a  \\2  leisure  hour  on 
the  sands  of  the  beach  a  complete  change  from  my 
usual  line  of  work.  My  hours  were  from  late  in  the 
morning  till  early  at  night  instead  of  early  in  the 
morning  till  late  \  at  night.  My  Big  Ben  did  not  call 
me  from  the  good  sleep  of  the  early  morning  as  it  had 
been  doing  for  fifty  weeks  in  the  year.  Then  it  was 
not  far  from  the  mountains  where  I  \  used  to  go  fre- 
quently for  the  wonderful  view  that  one  gets  from  the 
mountain  top.  Since  that  experience  it  has  seemed  to 
me  easier  to  get  a  vision  of  my  work.  When  you  are 
on  top  of  |  the  mountains  you  are  so  far  above  the 
little  elevations  and  depressions  that  you  can  see  just 
the  great  mountain  ridges  which  go  to  make  up  the 
mountain  range.  You  feel  that  every  mountain  repre- 
sents one  of  the  H3  important  parts  of  the  whole  and 
that  all  the  things  which  go  to  make  up  that  mountain 
have  had  a  part  in  the  completed  work.  As  I  came 
down  the  mountain  I  got  a  close  view  of  \  the  little 
things  and  in  the  same  proportion  I  lost  the  physical 
perspective. 

There  were  other  experiences  on  this  vacation  that 
received  my  attention.  I  noticed  the  difference  between 
the  flowers  and  trees  in  my  environment  and  those  \ 
at  home  with  which  I  had  become  so  familiar.  Every- 
thing I  saw  on  this  occasion  tended  to  make  my  sense 
of  observation  keen  and  when  I  returned  to  my  work 


1920  CONTEST  223 

I  found  I  carried  into  it  a  [  keener  attention  to  all  the 
duties  I  had  to  perform. 

Not  all  of  my  vacations  have  been  so  successful. 
You  know  and  I  know  there  are  many  things  done  on  a 
vacation  which  only  result  in  expending  one's  \\4 
energy  at  a  greater  rate  during  vacation  time  than  it  is 
spent  during  normal  working  time.  You  know  and  I 
know  that  we  do  not  do  the  things  we  ought  to  do  for 
our  own  good.  We  do  ]  not  carry  out  the  idea  of  a 
vacation  but  rather  seek  to  do  something  which  per- 
haps we  have  always  had  a  longing  to  do  and  which  we 
can  only  do  when  we  are  permitted  to  take  a  little  I 
time  away  from  our  daily  tasks  without  losing  any  pay. 

To  spend  a  vacation  outside  the  shadow  of  one's 
accustomed  surroundings  is  usually  more  satisfactory 
than  to  stay  at  home  among  familiar  scenes.  One  of 
the  fundamental  [  principles  in  taking  vacations,  as  in 
everything  else  in  life,  is  change.  Without  change  we 
die.  The  change  should  be  in  work,  in  thought,  and  in 
action. 

There  are  a  great  many  fine  games  one  can  [[5  play. 
(750  words) 


1920  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

175  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.40 

It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  be  with  you  this 
morning.  At  the  same  time  I  regret  exceedingly  that 
the  Governor  of  this  state  whom  many  of  you  know 
personally  and  whom  everybody  loves  was  not  able  to 
be  here  at  {  this  time  and  bid  you  welcome,  say  to  you 
that  you  are  welcome  in  the  State  of  Illinois  and  you 
are  welcome  in  the  City  of  Chicago.  He  is  glad  you 
have  started  this  movement  and  he  is  proud  of  the 
organization  you  are  [  now  beginning  to  found.  I 
thank  you  for  the  welcome  you  gave  me.  I  am  glad 
of  an  opportunity  to  talk  to  professional  men,  to  talk 
to  men  who  are  not  only  practical  but  who  are  dream- 
ers. I  have  always  thought  that  the  greatest  \  man 
that  God  ever  gave  to  this  world  was  that  fellow  who 
could  dream  and  at  the  same  time  could  be  practical. 
There  is  no  profession,  not  even  the  profession  of  the 
law,  of  which  I  am  a  humble  member  and  of  which 
I  U1  am  proud,  that  so  combines  the  qualities  of  the 
dreamer,  the  man  who  gets  up  above  the  earth  and 
dreams  of  things,  and  at  the  same  time  the  practical 
qualities  that  enable  one  to  execute  and  to  make  things 
that  make  men  happy,  |  as  the  profession  of  the  archi- 
tect. There  is  no  profession,  I  say,  that  so  combines 

224 


1920  CONTEST  225 

those  two  qualities,  as  your  profession.  We  lawyers, 
you  know,  think  we  have  a  great  profession,  and  yet 
we  know  when  we  analyze  it  that  we  live  on  the  [  mis- 
fortunes of  others  and  the  doctors  who  have  been 
organized  ever  since  Adam  and  Eve  were  in  the  Garden, 
also  live  on  the  misfortunes  and  weaknesses  and  illnesses 
of  others,  but  it  is  a  proud  thing  to  be  a  member  of  a 
profession  whose  [  work  stands  like  a  monument  for 
people  to  look  at  as  the  years  go  by. 

I  am  glad  to  welcome  you.  I  marvel  that  a  profession 
such  as  yours  has  not  had  an  organization  from  the 
earliest  time,  an  organization  that  would  enable  you  H* 
to  benefit  one  another  and  an  organization  that  would 
enable  you  to  protect  yourselves  against  men  who  are 
unworthy  to  practice  the  noble  profession  which  you 
practice.  I  marvel  that  the  men  who  could  dream  of 
Solomon's  Temple,  the  men  who  could  dream  \  the 
stadiums  and  palaces  that  we  see  rearing  their  heads 
back  in  the  shadow  of  antiquity,  the  men  who  linked 
together  like  pearls  upon  a  necklace  the  magnificent 
buildings  that  stand  like  monuments  through  all  time 
to  the  genius  of  the  creator  of  buildings,  \  men  who 
could  do  that  through  all  the  countless  ages  come 
before  us  have  not  thought  enough  of  one  another  to 
get  together  and  organize  to  protect  themselves  from 
that  cheap  fellow  who  does  not  treat  them  right  and 
from  the  fellow  that  fools  [  the  public.  I  am  proud  of 
Illinois  and  especially  proud  of  you.  I  am  proud  of  you 
gentlemen  that  you  are  the  first  to  organize  an  associa- 
tion in  your  profession  that  will  have  for  its  object  the 
benefit  of  its  members  who  belong  to  \\3  it,  the  enact- 
ment of  laws  in  this  state  and  in  other  states  that  will 
be  uniform  for  the  protection  of  the  public,  for  making 
more  safe  the  buildings  that  are  erected  for  the  present 


226        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

generation  and  for  the  future  and  for  the  protection  f 
of  the  men  who  have  the  ability  to  conceive  the  building 
and  the  power  and  analysis  of  mind  to  execute  the  plan 
they  have  dreamed  of. 

Gentlemen,  I  want  to  assure  you  that  out  here  in 
Illinois  where  men  are  not  afraid  to  be  1  the  first  to 
sail  upon  unknown  seas,  where  men  are  willing  to  be 
pioneers  and  where  we  do  not  have  to  follow  precedents, 
where  we  are  close  to  nature,  God  meant  that  such  men 
and  such  women  as  we  should  be  pioneers.  I  am  I 
proud  of  the  organization  that  you  are  founding  today. 
I  am  proud  of  .the  profession  to  which  you  belong.  I 
believe,  gentlemen,  that  the  Governor  of  this  splendid 
state  is  in  harmony  and  in  sympathy  with  your  hopes 
and  purposes.  I  believe  that  a  ]  [ 4  law  that  will  benefit 
the  people,  that  will  benefit  you,  will  be  enacted  under 
this  present  administration  for  your  benefit  and  the 
benefit  of  all  concerned. 

I  want  to  assure  you  gentlemen  that  if  you  were  to 
judge  your  profession  by  other  professions  j  that  have 
written  their  names  upon  the  scroll  of  fame  there  would 
not  be  much  comparison.  We  fellows  in  the  legal  pro- 
fession have  told  the  world  how  we  have  written  the 
statutes  upon  the  books  of  the  countries  that  have 
risen  and  have  fallen  |  in  the  past;  the  physicians  tell 
how  they  treated  this,  that,  and  the  other.  The  truth 
about  it  is  we  lawyers  never  did  anything  that  amounted 
to  much.  We  have  made  a  lot  of  noise  at  times.  We 
have  been  able  to  aid  innocent  |  persons  who  were 
being  persecuted  and  perhaps  have  been  able  to  send 
some  people  to  the  penitentiary  who  should  have  gone 
there,  but  you  gentlemen  are  constructing  something. 
You  gentlemen  from  the  time  man  first  started  out  in 
the  race  of  life  .  .  .  [[5  (2  words  short — 873  words) 


1920  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

200  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.54 

Mr.  Chairman,  I  confess  that  I  have  not  heretofore 
given  this  question  the  attention  that  it  merits.  Mem- 
bers of  Congress  are  too  busy  with  public  matters  to 
specialize  in  all  subjects.  I  do  not  enjoy  the  privilege 
of  being  a  member  of  the  committee  that  has  been 
giving  this  bill  \  close  study. 

The  question  of  retiring  government  employees  has 
been  discussed  at  intervals  for  many  years.  It  has  been 
taken  up  and  discussed  more  or  less  informally  on 
numerous  occasions  since  I  have  been  a  member  of 
Congress.  I  am  sure  that  people  generally  throughout 
the  country  do  not  fully  \  appreciate  the  necessity  for 
legislation  along  the  lines  of  this  bill.  Our  citizens  are 
far  removed  from  governmental  activities  and  do  not 
come  into  contact  with  the  work  of  the  various  depart- 
ments. Therefore  they  do  not  have  an  opportunity 
to  see  these  employees  and  judge  of  their  efficiency. 
I  have  I  had  some  prejudice  against  their  retirement 
and  have  felt  that  it  would  entail  an  extra  drain  upon 
the  United  States  Treasury  at  a  time  when  every 
effort  should  be  made  to  economize. 

After  a  more  careful  study  of  the  principle  involved 

227 


228        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

in  the  bill  and  the  report  on  it  by  jj1  the  committee  I 
am  thoroughly  convinced  that  a  vote  for  this  bill  can 
be  justified  on  the  three  grounds  of  efficiency,  economy, 
and  humanity. 

One  of  the  reasons  why  there  is  so  much  complaint 
against  delays  in  the  government  service  is  because 
there  are  so  many  old,  infirm,  and  inactive  I  employees. 
Everybody  knows  that  private  offices  transact  business 
very  much  more  promptly  than  government  offices. 
Of  course,  government  employees  can  not  afford  to 
make  mistakes.  They  must  guard  against  criticism 
and  must  be  exceptionally  careful.  With  alert,  active, 
and  young  employees,  there  is  no  question  but  that  the 
efficiency  of  j  the  service  would  be  greatly  increased. 
One  inefficient  employee  delays  many  others,  as  every- 
one knows.  It  would  also  be  more  economical  for  the 
Government  to  retire  these  employees  at  the  pay  indi- 
cated for  the  various  classes  in  this  bill  or  even  at  full 
pay  rather  than  to  keep  them  on  \  the  pay  roll.  Our 
experience  in  private  life  is  that  inefficient  clerical  help 
is  never  economical. 

I  believe  it  would  effect  a  large  saving  of  money  for 
the  Government  if  only  the  very  best  clerical  help 
that  could  be  obtained  were  employed.  All  the  leading 
corporations  are  adopting  a  retirement  {j2  system,  and 
this  same  policy  is  recommended  for  governmental 
employees.  There  is  no  economy  in  slow  help  or  ineffi- 
cient service.  Everyone  is  demanding  quick  action. 

Again,  this  bill  can  be  justified  from  a  purely  humani- 
tarian standpoint.  You  may  say  what  you  will,  but 
no  head  of  a  bureau  is  going  [  to  take  the  responsibility 
of  retiring  old  and  infirm  clerks.  Members  of  Congress 
think  that  they  would  do  so  if  they  were  the  heads  of 
bureaus  and  the  responsibility  were  placed  upon  them. 


1920  CONTEST  229 

However,  the  fact  remains  that  no  head  of  a  depart- 
ment has  done  so  in  the  past,  which  ]  is  sufficient  to 
convince  me  that  no  head  of  a  department  will  take 
the  responsibility  in  the  future  of  turning  these  old 
employees  out.  I  think,  therefore,  that  it  would  add 
to  the  efficiency  of  the  service  to  pass  this  retirement 
bill.  It  would  be  more  economical  for  the  Government 
I  and  would  be  humane. 

I  do  not  think  we  should  deceive  ourselves.  I  believe 
that  the  amounts  allowed  the  various  clerks  under 
section  2  of  this  bill  will  be  increased  in  time.  Old 
and  infirm  retired  employees  can  not  live  upon  the 
amounts  provided,  and  amendments  will  be  asked  of  [|3 
Congress  to  increase  them.  I  do  not  doubt  that  Con- 
gress, responding  to  the  public  sentiment,  will  feel 
justified  in  granting  the  increases. 

I  do  not  know  that  I  fully  agree  with  all  the  details 
of  the  bill.  With  the  .little  study  that  I  have  been 
able  to  give  it,  I  \  am  inclined  to  think  that  there  should 
be  automatic  retirement  at  a  certain  age.  I  believe 
that  the  provision  in  the  bill  allowing  employees  to 
make  application  to  remain  longer  will  be  abused.  I 
believe  that  the  head  of  every  department  or  bureau 
who  has  aged  clerks  will  yield  to  |  their  demands  and 
permit  them  to  remain  in  the  service  as  long  as  the  law 
will  allow  them.  When  an  exception  is  made  for  one 
employee  it  is  very  difficult  not  to  make  an  exception 
for  another.  I  do  not  believe  that  any  elasticity  should 
be  given  in  the  act.  [  Government  employees  will  then 
know  that  there  is  not  a  chance  of  their  remaining  upon 
the  pay  roll  any  longer,  and  that  they  arer  to  be  retired 
at  a  certain  definite  specified  time.  They  will  begin  to 
make  provision  against  that  time,  and  there  will  be  no 
uncertainty  about  it.  JJ4 


230        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

It  has  been  stated  on  the  floor  in  this  debate  that  the 
heads  of  the  various  departments  can  now  dismiss 
inefficient  clerks.  However,  this  authority  has  never 
been  exercised.  My  fear  is  that  under  the  elastic  pro- 
vision of  section  6  of  this  bill,  inefficient  employees  will 
be  retained  after  the  [  age  limit  has  been  reached.  I 
want  to  utter  a  word  of  warning  against  this  provision. 
It  will  be  abused  and  will  permit  discrimination.  I 
would  much  prefer  to  have  a  definite  age  fixed.  I 
grant  you  there  are  men  and  women  over  the  age  limit 
who  could  serve  the  |  Government  efficiently  and  well 
after  they  become  65,  but  an  arbitrary  limit  ought  to 
be  fixed.  If  65  years  is  not  the  correct  one,  then  the 
experience  of  other  countries  and  business  establish- 
ments should  be  drawn  upon  and  the  proper  age  limit 
should  be  fixed.  I  am  arguing  j  for  a  definite  limit, 
so  that  employees  will  know  years  in  advance  when 
they  are  to  be  retired.  They  will  then  begin  to  make 
preparations  for  it.  They  would  know  that  there  is 
absolutely  no  uncertainty  about  it  and  that  there  is  no 
chance  to  remain  in  the  government  service.  j[5  (1000 
words) 


1920  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

215  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.44 

The  highest  compliment  ever  paid  to  any  class  of 
people  was  paid  to  those  who  are  called  the  common 
people.  When  we  use  that  term  there  are  some  who 
say  that  we  are  appealing  to  the  passions  of  the  masses; 
there  are  some  who  apply  the  name  demagogue  to 
anybody  who  speaks  of  [  the  common  people.  When 
the  meek  and  lowly  Nazarene  came  to  preach  "peace 
on  earth,  good  will  toward  men,"  he  was  not  welcomed 
by  those  who  "devour  widow's  houses  and  for  a  pre- 
tense make  long  prayers."  By  whom  was  he  welcomed? 
The  Scriptures  tell  us  that  when  he  gave  that  great 
commandment,  "Thou  shalt  |  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself,"  the  common  people  heard  him  gladly.  This, 
I  repeat,  is  the  highest  compliment  that  has  ever  been 
paid  to  any  class  of  people,  and  the  common  people 
are  the  only  people  who  have  ever  received  gladly  the 
doctrines  of  humanity  and  equality. 

I  do  not  mean  to  say  \  that  there  have  been  no  excep- 
tions to  the  general  rule.  There  have  always  been 
found  among  the  richer  classes  those  who  were  filled 
with  the  spirit  of  philanthropy,  those  who  were  willing 
to  spend  their  lives  in  the  uplifting  of  their  fellows. 

231 


232        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

But  I  am  now  speaking  of  general  rules,  not  of  excep- 
tions. Nor  H1  do  I  mean  that  there  have  never  been 
found  among  the  common  people  those  who  would 
betray  their  fellows.  Everywhere,  at  all  times  and  in 
all  classes  of  society,  the  character  of  Judas  has  been 
found.  On  the  dark  page  of  all  history  appears  the 
name  of  the  man  who  betrays  his  brother.  [  Yet  in 
spite  of  these  exceptions,  the  common  people  have 
been  the  great  and  controlling  force  which  has  lifted 
civilization  to  higher  ground. 

There  have  been  three  important  forms  of  govern- 
ment. First,  the  monarchy,  in  which  the  king  rules  by 
right  divine;  second,  the  aristocracy,  in  which  the  few 
govern ;  and,  third,  the  democracy  [  in  which  the  people 
rule.  Why  is  it  that  the  strength  of  democracy — I  do 
not  use  the  word  in  a  party  sense,  but  in  its  broader 
meaning — why  is  it  that  the  strength  of  democracy 
has  always  been  found  among  the  common  people? 
The  reason  is  simple  enough.  If  a  man  has  high  \ 
position,  great  ability,  or  great  wealth  he  may  be  able 
to  keep  on  the  good  side  of  the  king.  If  he  possesses 
great  influence  he  may  secure  a  place  as  one  of  the  ruling 
class  in  an  aristocracy.  But  there  is  no  form  of  govern- 
ment which  the  masses  dare  leave  to  their  children 
except  IJ  '*•  a  democracy  in  which  each  citizen  is  protected 
in  the  enjoyment  of  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness.  The  great  common  people  believe  in  a 
democratic  form  of  government  because  it  is  only  under 
a  democratic  form  of  government  that  they  are  able  to 
fully  protect  their  rights  and  defend  their  interests.  \ 

Let  me  call  your  attention  for  a  moment  to  the 
objects  of  government.  Our  Government  derives  its 
powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed.  What  kind 
of  government  will  people  consent  to?  Only  that  kind 


1920  CONTEST  233 

which  protects  all  and  knows  no  favoritism.  The 
people  desire  a  government  in  which  all  citizens  stand 
upon  the  |  same  plane  without  regard  to  wealth  or 
position  in  society.  A  government  which  guarantees 
equal  rights  to  all  and  confers  special  privileges  upon 
none  is  the  government  which  appeals  to  the  affections 
of  the  common  people. 

There  are  two  things  to  be  especially  considered  in 
government.  The  first  is  that  in  the  enactment  of  [ 
all  legislation  no  advantage  should  be  given  to  one 
person  over  another  if  that  advantage  can  be  avoided. 
It  is  the  duty  of  government  to  protect  all  from  injus- 
tice and  to  do  so  without  showing  partiality  for  any 
one  or  any  class.  Again,  government  must  restrain 
men  from  injuring  one  another.  Jefferson  declared 
this  II3  to  be  one  of  the  important  duties  of  government, 
and  the  government  which  does  not  restrain  the  strong- 
est citizen  from  injuring  the  weakest  citizen  fails  to  do 
its  whole  duty.  An  idea  is  the  most  important  thing 
that  a  person  can  get  into  his  head,  and  we  gather  our 
ideas  from  every  source.  {  I  was  passing  through  Iowa 
some  months  ago  and  got  an  idea  from  some  hogs.  I 
noticed  a  number  of  hogs  rooting  in  a  field  and  tearing 
up  the  ground.  The  first  thought  that  came  to  me  was 
that  they  were  destroying  property,  and  that  carried 
me  back  to  the  time  when  I  lived  [  on  a  farm,  and  I 
remembered  that  we  put  rings  in  the  noses  of  our  hogs. 
And  why?  Not  to  keep  the  hogs  from  getting  fat,  for 
we  were  more  interested  in  their  getting  fat  than  they 
were ;  the  sooner  they  became  fat,  the  sooner  we  killed 
them;  the  longer  they  were  in  getting  [  fat,  the  longer 
they  lived.  But  we  put  rings  in  the  noses  of  the  hogs 
so  that  while  they  were  getting  fat  they  would  not 
destroy  more  property  than  they  were  worth.  And 


234        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

then  it  occurred  to  me  that  one  of  the  most  important 
duties  of  government  is  to  put  rings  in  the  noses  Ij4 
of  hogs.  Now,  my  friends,  do  not  consider  this  a 
reflection  upon  your  neighbor.  We  are  all  hoggish  to  a 
certain  extent  and  need  restraining.  We  are  all  selfish 
and  need  to  have  that  selfishness  curbed.  The  Creator 
did  not  make  any  class  of  people  who  are  entirely 
unselfish.  I  can  prove  by  [  you  that  your  neighbors  are 
selfish,  and  I  can  prove  by  your  neighbors  that  you  are 
selfish,  but  I  have  faith  in  our  form  of  government 
because  the  people  in  their  better  moments  are  willing 
to  enact  laws  which  will  restrain  them  in  the  hours  of 
temptation.  We  submit  to  restraint  upon  ourselves 
in  |  order  that  others  may  be  restrained  from  injuring 
us. 

When  I  say  that  one  of  the  duties  of  government  is 
to  put  rings  in  the  noses  of  hogs,  I  simply  mean  that, 
while  society  is  interested  in  having  every  citizen 
become  independent  and  self-supporting,  that  while 
society  is  interested  in  having  every  citizen  j  secure 
enough  of  this  world's  goods  to  supply  his  own  wants, 
educate  his  children,  and  leave  him  something  for  his 
declining  days,  yet  society  is  also  interested  in  having 
laws  which  will  prevent  any  citizen  from  destroying 
more  than  he  is  worth  while  he  is  securing  his  own 
independence. 

Ours  is  the  best  form  H5  of  government  known  among 
men  because  it  can  be  made  to  reflect  the  best  intelli- 
gence. (1075  words) 


1920  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Denver) 

240  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

JURY  CHARGE 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.46 

Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  you  understand  that  it 
becomes  the  duty  of  the  Court  to  instruct  you  on  the 
law  applicable  to  the  facts  in  the  case.  That  is  the 
manner  in  which  all  cases  are  disposed  of  where  a  trial 
is  had  before  a  court  and  a  jury.  The  object  of  select- 
ing you  gentlemen  as  jurors  is  to  have  [  you  pass  upon 
the  facts,  the  facts  consisting  of  the  testimony  of  the 
witnesses  who  have  been  sworn  and  examined  in  your 
presence,  together,  of  course,  with  any  documentary 
proof  that  may  have  been  offered,  such  as  was  offered 
in  this  case,  the  lease  and  letters  and  other  exhibits; 
but  in  passing  upon  these  facts  you  must  be  guided  by  [ 
the  instructions  that  you  receive  from  the  Court  on  the 
law.  Now,  I  mention  that  to  you  particularly  because 
of  what  transpired  during  this  trial.  The  trial  is  really 
divided  into  two  parts.  There  is  what  we  call  the  plain- 
tiffs' side  of  the  case  and  the  defendants'  side.  Now, 
at  the  close  of  the  plaintiffs'  side  of  the  case  the  I 
attorney  for  the  defendants  moved  to  dismiss  the  com- 
plaint. That  motion  being  granted  would  mean  that 
the  action  would  then  and  there  terminate.  That 
motion  was  made,  predicated  upon  the  theory  advanced 
by  the  defendants'  attorney  that  the  plaintiffs  had 

235 


236        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

failed  to  establish  a  cause  of  action.  Now,  you  recall 
that  when  that  motion  was  made  prior  to  recess,  quite 
H1  a  discussion  was  had  between  the  Court  and  counsel 
at  that  time,  and  that,  I  may  say,  was  due  to  what  the 
Court  considered  was  a  difficult  and  intricate  question 
of  law  which  presented  itself. 

I  want  to  say  to  you  this,  that  you  should  not  be 
influenced  in  your  consideration  of  the  facts  by  any 
conversation  that  took  place  [  at  that  time.  If  the 
Court  during  that  discussion  gave  an  expression  of 
opinion  concerning  any  of  the  facts  in  this  case,  and 
you  allowed  that  to  impress  itself  upon  you,  you  would 
be  doing  the  parties  to  this  controversy  an  injustice, 
because  you  can  readily  see  how  applicable  that  is 
when  you  bear  in  mind  what  I  said  to  {  you  at  the  out- 
set, that  you  had  to  pass  upon  the  facts,  but  take  your 
law  from  the  Court. 

At  that  time  the  Court  denied  counsel's  motion  and 
refused  to  dismiss  the  complaint.  That  does  not  mean 
that  the  Court  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  plaintiffs  are 
entitled  to  recover.  That  simply  means  that  the  Court 
is  of  the  |  opinion  that  sufficient  facts  have  been  pro- 
duced to  warrant  the  submission  of  the  case  to  the  jury. 
It  is  not  any  indication  that  the  plaintiffs  are  entitled 
to  recover,  and  it  should  not  be  so  construed  by  you. 

This  action  was  commenced  by  a  summons,  and  the 
amount  demanded  in  the  summons  was  $1,000.  You 
see,  if  a  j|2  party  commences  an  action  in  our  Court, 
he  has  a  right  to  commence  the  action  by  the  service 
of  a  summons,  or  he  can  commence  the  action  by  the 
service  of  a  summons  and  complaint.  In  this  case  the 
action  was  commenced  by  the  service  of  the  summons, 
which  contained  a  brief  statement  of  the  plaintiffs' 
cause  of  action;  and  [  then  the  issue  is  finally  reached 


1920  CONTEST  237 

for  trial  by  the  defendants'  interposing  an  answer,  and 
in  that  manner  the  case  is  brought  on  to  trial.  But 
previous  to  the  action  being  reached  for  trial,  the  plain- 
tiffs were  obliged  to  file  what  we  call  a  bill  of  particulars. 
That  is  required  of  the  plaintiffs  in  order  that  the 
defendants  may  be  [  advised  in  detail  of  the  plaintiffs' 
alleged  claim.  In  the  bill  of  particulars  filed  in  this 
case  among  other  things  the  plaintiffs  claimed  the  sum 
of  $500,  that  being  the  amount  of  the  January  rent, 
the  January  rental  being  one-tenth  of  $5,000.  The 
plaintiffs  claim  in  addition  to  that  that  they  are  entitled 
to  be  I  compensated  for  the  moving  of  what  they  call 
this  debris  or  rubbish,  and  that  they  are  entitled  to  cer- 
tain sums  of  money  which  they  caused  to  be  expended 
in  making  repairs  to  the  premises,  and  to  the  value  of  a 
fuse  box  which  the  plaintiffs  claim  the  defendants  re- 
moved from  the  premises  when  they  vacated  them. 

Now,  as  some  one  H3  of  the  counsel  stated  to  you  in 
his  summation  of  the  facts,  it  is  true  the  defendants 
were  obliged  under  the  terms  of  their  lease  to  surrender 
possession  of  those  premises  on  the  31st  day  of  January. 
That  is  an  obligation  that  the  defendants  entered  into. 
It  is  not  your  duty  nor  the  duty  of  the  Court  to  enter  | 
into  an  agreement  between  parties.  Parties  who  are 
of  full  age  and  sound  mind  are  presumed  to  be  capable 
of  entering  into  their  own  obligations,  and  that  is  what 
the  defendants  did  in  this  case.  The  defendants  entered 
into  an  obligation  to  vacate  those  premises  on  the  31st 
day  of  January.  Primarily,  they  were  let  into  posses- 
sion of  the  I  premises  under  a  lease  which  commenced 
February  1st,  1919,  in  consideration  of  the  payment  of 
a  certain  sum  of  money  per  month  as  rent,  and  they 
were  obliged  to  surrender  up  possession  of  the  premises. 
It  is  not  claimed  that  they  did  not.  That  element, 


238        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

however,  has  been  interjected  into  this  case,  and  the 
evidence  with  reference  [  to  their  alleged  holding  over 
or  not  surrendering  the  premises  on  the  31st  was  only 
permitted  because  of  the  claim  that,  instead  of 
material  that  Mr.  Roberts  removed  consisting  of  rub- 
bish, as  contended  by  the  plaintiffs,  on  the  contrary 
it  was  valuable  personal  property.  Now,  is  that  a  fact? 
The  plaintiffs  claim  that  it  was  an  encumbrance,  that 
it  [I4  was  debris,  that  it  was  rubbish,  and  that  it  was  of 
absolutely  no  value,  and  instead  of  having  any  intrinsic 
value  of  some  character,  they  said  on  the  contrary  it  was 
something  which  they  were  obliged  to  remove  at  a  very 
great  expense.  The  defendants  claim,  on  the  contrary, 
that  what  was  left  there  was  valuable  personal  property. 

No  evidence  \  has  been  produced  as  to  its  value, 
because  the  fact  of  its  having  been  removed  has  not 
been  interposed  as  a  counterclaim.  The  claim  has  not 
been  offered  in  order  to  offset  the  plaintiffs'  claim, 
and  properly  so,  because  it  would  not  be  a  proper  sub- 
ject of  a  counterclaim.  The  proof  with  respect  to  its 
value,  the  character  of  the  I  material,  has  only  been 
offered  to  offset  plaintiffs'  claim  that  it  was  rubbish. 
Now,  then,  when  you  reflect  upon  that  proposition 
and  you  take  into  consideration  the  plaintiffs'  theory 
and  the  defendants'  theory,  you  can  readily  see  that 
you  have  a  sharp  question  of  fact  which  you  gentlemen 
must  determine. 

Bear  in  mind  what  we  call  the  burden  of  proof  I 
and  what  the  probabilities  are  and  what  weight  you 
should  give  to  the  consideration  of  the  testimony  of  the 
parties  to  this  action.  I  assume  that  this  is  not  the  first 
time  that  you  have  served  as  jurors;  but  I  would  just 
like  to  say  to  you,  in  conclusion,  that  the  plaintiffs  on 
the  issues  as  presented  have  the  burden.  II 5(1200  words) 


1920  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Denver) 

280  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

TESTIMONY 

Syllable  Intensity: 

With  Q's  and  A's  1.35 

Without  Q's  and  A's      1.30 
Number  of  Q's  and  A's  130 

Q.  What  is  your  name?    A.  John  Carter. 

Q.  Where  do  you  live?    A.  Brooklyn,  New  York. 

Q.  You  are  the  plaintiff  in  this  action?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  I  show  you  a  contract  dated  October  20th,  1919, 
and  ask  you  if  this  is  the  contract  that  was  executed 
by  you  and  the  defendant?  A.  Yes  sir,  that  is  the  con- 
tract that  we  executed  at  that  time. 

Q.  On  |  or  about  October  1st,  1919,  did  you  rent  a 
store  for  the  purpose  of  conducting  an  agency  for  Metz 
cars?  A.  I  rented  an  office  on  39th  Street. 

Q.  And  thereafter  did  you  rent  a  store  on  Broadway? 
A.  Yes,  sir,  I  did. 

Q.  Where  was  that  store?  A.  It  was  on  54th  Street, 
near  Broadway. 

Q.  How  large  a  store  was  it?  A.  It  was  about  ]  25 
by  100  feet,  practically  2,500  square  feet. 

Q.  What  was  the  rental  provided  in  your  lease?  A. 
It  was  $5,000  a  year. 

Q.  Did  you  have  signs  prepared  and  put  up  in  the 
windows  and  above  your  store  front?  A.  Yes,  sir,  I  did. 

239 


240        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Displaying  the  fact  that  Metz  cars  were  sold 
there?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Now,  were  any  Metz  cars  [  sent  to  you  f.  o.  b. 
Boston  with  bill  of  lading  attached?  A.  No,  sir,  there 
were  not. 

Q.  With  whom  did  you  deal  in  connection  with  the 
execution  of  this  contract,  Plaintiff's  Exhibit  1?  A. 
Mr.  Smith  and  Mr.  Brown. 

Q.  These  two  gentlemen  who  signed  the  contract 
as  the  President  and  Vice-President  respectively?  A. 
Yes,  sir,  those  were  the  men. 

Q.  Did  you  go  to  see  and  \\l  did  you  see  either  of 
these  gentlemen  in  reference  to  the  delivery  to  you  of 
the  cars?  A.  I  did. 

Q.  How  soon  after  the  execution  of  this  contract 
did  you  see  either  Mr.  Smith  or  Mr.  Brown  in  reference 
to  the  delivery  to  you  of  the  cars?  A.  It  was  in  the 
first  two  weeks. 

Q.  Did  you  then  make  a  demand  upon  them  for  the 
delivery  of  cars?  ]  A.  Yes,  sir,  I  did. 

Q.  What  did  they  say  to  you?  A.  They  promised 
me  delivery  of  certain  models  the  first  week  in  Decem- 
ber, and  on  up  to  the  end  of  the  year. 

Q.  Up  to  the  end  of  the  year  1919?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Now,  when  you  say  certain  kind  of  cars,  what 
kind  do  you  mean?  A.  The  delivery  of  the  models 
which  they  had  \  specified  on  their  contract. 

Q.  Did  they  promise  to  deliver  to  you  any  Sedan 
roadsters  and  coupes?  A.  Yes,  sir,  they  did. 

Q.  Now,  have  you  told  us  all  concerning  the  demand 
that  you  made  upon  Messrs.  Smith  &  Brown  in  con- 
nection with  their  not  delivering  cars  to  you?  A.  No, 
sir. 

Q.  Well,  was  anything  further  said  by  them  to  you 


1920  CONTEST  241 

in  respect  to  what  you  would  have  to  [  do  in  order  to 
get  the  cars?  A.  They  told  me  that  I  would  have  to  go 
up  to  the  factory  to  get  the  cars. 

Q.  Did  you  go  up  to  the  factory  yourself  in  reference 
to  getting  these  cars?  A.  Yes,  sir,  I  did. 

Q.  When  did  you  go  up?  A.  I  went  up  there  the 
first  time  about  the  end  of  October,  a  week  after  the 
signing  of  [[*  the  contract. 

Q.  Where  is  the  factory?  A.  At  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Q.  And  did  you  pay  for  any  cars  before  you  got  them? 
A.  I  paid  for  these  cars  at  the  factory  at  the  time  we 
took  them  away. 

Q.  Then  how  did  you  get  them  down  here  to  New 
York?  A.  We  drove  them  over  the  road. 

Q.  Those  were  three  touring  cars?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  While  you  J  were  at  the  factory  did  you  talk 
to  anybody  in  the  factory  about  the  cars  that  you 
wanted  and  needed?  A.  Yes,  sir,  I  spoke  to  Mr. 
Fisher. 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  Mr.  Fisher  is;  that  is,  what 
was  his  connection  with  the  company?  A.  Mr.  Fisher 
is  the  President  of  the  Metz  Sales  Corporation. 

Q.  And  you  had  been  referred  to  him  by  Mr.  Smith, 
had  you  not?  [  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  tell  him  that  you  wanted  a  Sedan?  A. 
Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Who  referred  you  to  this  man?  A.  Mr.  Smith 
referred  me  to  him. 

Q.  What  did  Mr.  Smith  say  when  he  referred  you 
to  him?  A.  He  told  me  that  all  the  information  he 
could  give  me  he  had  received  from  Mr.  Fisher,  and 
that  if  I  went  to  the  factory  Mr.  Fisher  \  could  tell  me 
more. 


242        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Did  you  then  and  there  tell  Mr.  Fisher  that  you 
wanted  a  Sedan  car?  A.  I  did. 

Q.  Did  you  ask  for  Sedan  cars  to  be  delivered  to  you? 
A.  Yes,  sir;  I  asked  for  Sedan  cars  to  be  delivered 
according  to  the  contract. 

Q.  What  did  he  say?  A.  Well,  he  told  me  that  I 
had  to  do  my  business  with  Mr.  Smith. 

Q.  II3  Well,  subsequently  did  you  get  any  more  cars 
other  than  the  three  cars  that  you  have  just  told  us 
about?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  many  more  did  you  get?  A.  We  got  four 
more  on  two  different  occasions,  making  seven  hi  all. 

Q.  And  on  each  of  these  occasions  did  you  pay  for 
the  cars  before  they  were  given  into  your  possession? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  on  each  \  of  these  occasions  when  you  wanted 
these  cars  were  you  compelled  to  go  up  to  Boston  and 
get  the  cars  and  drive  them  down  here?  A.  Yes,  sir; 
that  is  what  we  had  to  do. 

Q.  And  there  were  not  any  cars  tendered  to  you  at 
all?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Now,  did  you  make  a  demand  upon  Mr.  Smith, 
the  president  of  the  defendant,  for  the  delivery  of 
cars  I  to  you?  A.  I  did. 

Q.  And  at  his  continual  failure  to  deliver  what  did 
you  say  to  him?  A.  Well,  I  told  him  that  it  had  greatly 
hurt  our  business. 

Q.  Now,  was  there  any  advertising  literature  given 
to  you  by  the  defendant?  A.  Just  the  hand  circulars 
of  the  Metz  cars. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  have  sent  to  you  or  offered  to  you  a 
single  Sedan?  A.  Never.  [ 

Q.  What  were  they?    Touring  cars?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Now,  is  the  motor  car  business  to  a  certain  extent 


1920  CONTEST  243 

a  seasonable  business  in  respect  to  the  type  of  car? 
A.  It  certainly  is. 

Q.  Is  there  during  the  months  of  October,  Novem- 
ber, and  December  a  far  greater  demand  for  one  type 
of  car  over  any  other  type?  A.  There  is,  yes,  sir. 

A.  And  for  what  type  of  car  [[4  is  there  a  greater 
demand  existing  during  the  months  of  October,  Novem- 
ber, and  December?  A.  For  closed  cars. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  been  in  the  automobile 
business?  A.  Why,  I  have  never  been  in  the  auto- 
mobile business  up  to  this  time,  but  I  have  been  han- 
dling automobiles  for  a  number  of  years. 

Q.  You  have  never  been  hi  the  automobile  business 
yourself?  A.  I  have  been  around  dealers  and  \  working 
for  dealers. 

Q.  Now,  did  you  endeavor  to  sell  Sedan  cars  and 
coupes  from  the  catalogue?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  endeavored  to  do  that  very  often,  did  you? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  know  of  any  place  in  the  city  of  New 
York  where  you  could  exhibit  to  a  prospective  cus- 
tomer a  sample  of  such  car?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  succeed  in  closing  a  deal  \  for  some  of 
these  Sedans?  A.  We  had  several  people  that  wanted 
them. 

Q.  You  have  a  number  of  such  deals  in  mind,  have 
you?  A.  A  number  of  them. 

Q.  Well,  did  you  make  a  sale  of  any  Sedan  cars  from 
the  catalogue?  A.  No,  sir;  we  could  not  make  any 
sale  because  we  could  not  show  the  car. 

Q.  Did  you  have  inquiries  for  them?  A.  We  cer- 
tainly |  did. 

Q.  Were  you  offered  any  more  touring  cars?  A. 
We  were  offered  six. 


244        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Were  they  delivered  to  you?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  go  after  them?  A.  That  is  the  only  way 
we  could  get  them. 

Q.  Did  you  drive  them  over  the  road?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Your  transaction  at  that  time  was  also  with  Mr. 
Fisher,  was  it?  A.  Yes,  sir,  it  was  with  Mr.  |]5  Fisher 
in  the  morning.  (1400  words) 


1921  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Niagara  Falls) 

150  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.38 

It  is  not  often  that  the  question  of  good  roads  comes 
to  the  attention  of  a  body  of  city  gentlemen  such  as 
you,  and  since  I  have  been  called  upon  to  speak  on  the 
subject,  it  will  [  be  my  pleasure  and  privilege  to  review 
the  good-roads  movement  in  this  country. 

I  want  to  say  in  the  first  place,  in  the  early  times 
one  of  the  difficulties  of  marketing  agricultural  prod- 
ucts was  the  inability  of  [  the  farmers  to  get  their 
goods  to  market.  Out  in  Nebraska  where  I  live  I  can 
remember  when  I  was  a  boy  my  father  took  a  load  of 
corn  to  town,  a  distance  of  eighteen  miles,  and  \  received 
for  it  the  enormous  sum  of  five  dollars.  He  started 
out  in  the  morning  just  at  the  break  of  day  and  did  not 
get  home  until  late  at  night.  There  were  several 
children  in  the  family  and  JJ1  the  reason  I  remember 
the  occasion  so  well  is  that  each  of  father's  five  chil- 
dren got  a  stick  of  candy  out  of  it.  In  those  days  it 
was  such  a  treat  for  us  to  get  candy  that  |  it  lasted  us 
for  a  week  or  two. 

On  account  of  the  very  bad  road  conditions  at  that 
time,  the  farmers  were  discouraged  in  their  effort  to 
market  their  products  and  to  a  large  extent  they  made 

no  I  effort  to  do  so. 

245 


246        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

However,  with  the  introduction  of  good  roads  there 
has  come  about  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  farmers  to 
deal  with  the  products  of  the  farm  as  a  merchant  deals 
with  his  |  stock  of  goods.  The  farmers  now  have 
something  to  sell  and  a  way  of  selling  it  at  a  profit. 
They  enter  into  the  sale  of  their  goods  in  the  same  way 
that  a  business  man  does,  and  one  H2  of  the  factors  in 
the  prosperity  of  the  farming  communities  all  over  this 
country,  is  the  good  roads  that  have  been  built  in  the 
last  eighteen  or  twenty  years. 

Good  roads  are  not  only  an  advantage  to  \  the 
farmers,  but  they  are  in  these  days  an  advantage  to  the 
city  people.  They  give  the  city  people  an  opportunity 
to  go  out  into  the  country  and  come  in  contact  with 
the  farmers.  They  give  the  city  \  people  an  oppor- 
tunity to  understand  the  farmers  better  and  to  under- 
stand farming  problems  better  than  they  have  had  the 
opportunity  to  do  in  the  past. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  farmers  have  the  opportunity 
to  get  to  I  town  with  greater  ease  and  they  do  take 
advantage  of  this  opportunity.  They  not  only  can 
market  their  goods,  but  they  can  go  to  the  little  cities 
and  villages  in  their  community  and  enjoy  the  pleasures 
of  the  II3  city  life.  This  contact  of  the  farmers  with  the 
city  people  gives  the  farmers  the  opportunity  to  under- 
stand the  city  people,  and  it  has  resulted  in  a  better 
understanding  between  those  two  classes  of  people  in 
our  [  country.  This  matter  of  understanding  among 
the  peoples  of  this  country  is  of  very  great  importance. 
I  was  glad  to  note  the  statement  which  was  made  when 
the  Dixie  Highway  was  opened  a  short  time  ago.  On 
the  I  day  it  was  opened  it  was  stated  that  if  there  had 
been  a  Dixie  Highway  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  War 
there  would  have  been  no  Civil  War.  The  total  cost 


1921   CONTEST  247 

of  the  Civil  War  would  [  have  built  enough  good  roads 
to  have  given  America  in  this  respect  first  place  of 
all  the  countries  of  the  world,  and  the  better  feeling 
among  our  own  people  would  have  been  the  greatest 
dividend  of  the  many  Jj4  the  people  of  America  have 
received  from  this  great  country  in  which  we  live. 

In  the  second  place,  since  we  have  the  automobile, 
good  roads  are  more  important  than  ever.  You  can- 
not enjoy  a  ride  through  the  |  country  if  the  roads  are 
not  in  such  a  good  state  of  repair  that  you  can  ride 
along  at  a  fair  rate  of  speed,  if  not  a  high  rate  of  speed, 
and  get  pleasure  out  of  the  riding.  ]  In  the  matter  of 
the  expense  of  running  an  automobile  the  people  of 
this  country  are  saved  thousands  of  dollars  a  year  by 
having  good  roads.  A  rough  road  wears  out  your 
automobile  and  discourages  you  from  1  making  trips 
into  the  country  that  you  would  otherwise  make. 
Since  the  automobile  provides  an  opportunity  to  dis- 
tribute a  certain  amount  of  wealth,  the  farming  com- 
munities having  good  roads  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  a 
visit  from  the  people  H5  in  the  cities  and  enjoy  the  good 
will  which  results  from  such  a  visit.  (750  words) 


1921  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Niagara  Falls) 

175  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.37 

I  want  to  say  a  few  words  to  you  this  morning  on  the 
subject  of  zoning.  It  is  not  one  of  the  subjects  on  the 
program  but  your  Chairman  has  been  kind  enough  to 
give  me  a  few  minutes  of  your  time  on  \  this  occasion 
to  express  to  you  a  few  thoughts  on  this  subject  which  I 
consider  of  very  great  importance.  So  that  you  may 
understand  some  of  the  things  I  may  say  I  want  to 
tell  you,  in  the  first  place,  that  the  cities  in  [  this 
country  have  not  been  built  according  to  any  plan. 
When  an  individual  has  purchased  a  piece  of  ground 
he  has  built  on  it  or  not  as  he  liked.  If  he  built  he  con- 
sidered it  his  right  to  put  up  a  residence,  a  public  | 
garage  or  whatever  building  suited  his  convenience. 
Practically  no  thought  has  been  given  to  the  orderly 
development  of  the  cities.  As  a  result  we  have  what 
might  be  called  groups  of  houses  and  stores  which 
represent  centers  of  population  rather  than  cities  which 
have  U1  been  carefully  planned.  It  has  been  only  in 
the  last  three  or  four  years  that  special  attention  has 
been  given  to  zoning.  My  desire  this  morning  is  to 
call  your  attention  to  the  value  of  zoning  and  to  point 
out  to  you,  if  I  I  can,  its  relation  to  the  security  of  your 
investment  in  real  estate. 

248 


1921   CONTEST  249 

Let  me  illustrate  as  well  as  I  can  in  this  brief  time 
the  effect  of  zoning  on  real  estate  values,  or  perhaps 
you  will  say  the  effect  of  a  lack  of  |  zoning  on  real 
estate  values.  Suppose  you  buy  a  piece  of  property  in 
the  part  of  the  city  where  you  want  to  live.  At  the 
time  you  buy  your  house  and  lot  there  are  many  vacant 
lots  in  the  block,  but  so  far  as  [  you  can  see  there  is 
every  indication  that  those  lots  some  day  will  have 
homes  on  them.  You  live  in  the  house  you  buy  for  a 
year  or  two  and  become  quite  attached  to  it  and  its 
surroundings.  You  feel  that  you  are  a  [|2  part  of  the 
neighborhood  or  the  community  and  that  in  addition 
to  other  pleasures  you  get  out  of  living  in  your  own 
home,  you  have  the  pleasure  of  knowing  your  neighbors 
and  taking  part  in  the  life  of  the  community.  In  the 
meantime  [  there  has  been  more  or  less  building  going 
on  in  your  particular  part  of  the  town.  There  are  not 
so  many  vacant  lots  and  there  are  more  small  shops 
serving  the  immediate  needs  of  the  community.  One 
day  you  learn  that  someone  has  purchased  |  the  vacant 
lot  just  next  to  your  home.  You  immediately  con- 
template the  pleasure  you  will  derive  from  the  addition 
of  a  family  to  the  people  in  your  block  and  the  improve- 
ment in  the  appearance  of  the  street  that  will  result 
from  the  addition  of  \  the  home,  but  instead  of  that  you 
find  the  purchaser  of  the  lot  is  going  to  build  a  public 
garage.  You  consult  your  lawyer  and  he  tells  you  there 
is  not  a  thing  you  can  do  to  prevent  the  garage  being 
built.  The  garage  [|3  is  to  occupy  the  full  extent  of 
the  lot  and  to  be  two  stories  high.  This  means  that 
the  value  of  your  property  will  immediately  drop  fifty 
per  cent.  It  will  be  scarcely  salable,  and  there  is  noth- 
ing for  you  to  do  except  [  to  live  next  door  to  a  public, 
garage  or  to  take  a  loss  on  your  property  investment. 


250        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Now,  if  you  do  not  want  this  situation  to  arise  you 
must  take  an  interest  in  zoning,  which  is  merely  a  means 
of  expressing  the  will  of  \  the  community  in  protecting 
the  combined  investment  of  the  home  owners  as  against 
the  expression  of  the  will  of  some  individual  who  for 
private  gain  is  willing  to  destroy  the  value  of  the 
properties  adjoining  him,  even  though  he  may  do 
nothing  to  enhance  \  the  value  of  his  own  property. 
Under  the  zoning  systems  now  in  effect  in  this  country 
certain  streets  are  set  apart  for  the  erection  of  dwellings 
for  one  family,  certain  other  streets  for  dwellings  for 
two  families,  and  certain  other  places  for  business 
houses,  [I4  public  garages,  supply  stations,  and  so  forth. 
In  this  way  your  investment  in  real  estate  is  made 
secure  and  the  value  of  your  property  is  not  allowed  to 
suffer  a  loss  which  can  be  avoided  by  arranging  to  carry 
out  the  will  of  \  the  community.  The  pride  one  feels 
in  a  city  finds  its  source  in  the  home.  If  you  feel  proud 
of  your  home,  and  if  your  neighbors  feel  proud  of  their 
homes,  then  you  will  all  feel  proud  of  your  city. 

As  you  can  see  \  from  what  I  have  said  thus  far  proper 
zoning  in  a  city  is  merely  co-operation  among  the 
people  so  that  the  greatest  good  for  the  greatest  number 
will  be  the  rule.  If  our  zoning  system  is  carefully  and 
wisely  thought  out,  there  will  come  I  stability  in  home 
owning  in  your  community  and  in  my  community  which 
we  have  never  had  before.  There  is  no  question  that 
many  persons  in  the  large  cities  have  put  off  buying 
their  homes  because  it  is  too  much  of  a  gamble.  The 
idea  H5  of  zoning  is  so  to  protect  home  sites  that  where 
homes  are  supposed  to  be  built  nothing  but  homes 
will  be  built.  (875  words) 


1921  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Niagara  Falls) 

200  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.58 

I  take  pleasure  in  having  the  opportunity  to  talk  to 
you  a  little  while  upon  a  Subject  in  which  you  are,  or 
should  be,  most  deeply  interested.  Every  man  in  a 
democracy  is  interested  more  in  the  education  of  the 
people  than  in  any  other  one  thing;  because  on  the  | 
education  of  the  people  in  a  democracy  await  and 
depend  all  other  things  of  importance,  such  as  the 
public  health,  the  material  prosperity  and  wealth, 
civic  righteousness,  social  purity,  political  wisdom — 
always  more  and  more  difficult  as  the  country  grows 
and  its  relations  become  more  intricate — and  finally 
the  strength  \  and  safety  of  the  nation  and  the  develop- 
ment of  the  individual,  for  which  material  wealth  and 
the  order  of  the  state  exist. 

The  reason  why  a  democracy  is  established  is  that 
the  individuals  living  under  it  may  have  the  best  pos- 
sible opportunity  to  reach  the  full  measure  of  manhood 
and  I  of  womanhood.  If  you  are  interested  in  a  democ- 
racy at  all  you  are  interested  in  this  one  thing,  without 
which  democracy  is  impossible,  without  which  the 
development  of  material  wealth  is  impossible. 

The  public  school  system  is  the  agency  that  we  have 

251 


252        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

established  in  this  country  for  the  education  of  U1  the 
people.  It  is  our  greatest  co-operative  enterprise. 
Through  it  all  the  people  pay,  in  theory  at  least,  in 
proportion  to  their  ability,  regardless  of  their  wealth, 
in  order  that  all  of  the  children  of  the  people  may 
have,  regardless  of  their  poverty  and  all  other  con- 
ditions, as  nearly  as  [  possible,  equal  and  full  oppor- 
tunity for  the  education  that  makes  for  individual 
development,  for  industrial  and  economic  efficiency, 
and  for  good  citizenship. 

It  is  our  most  characteristic  institution.  There  is 
nothing  like  it  anywhere  else  in  the  world.  We  believe 
in  it  in  this  country ;  we  believe  in  it  more  j  and  more. 
Within  the  last  fifty  years  we  have  increased  our 
appropriations  for  the  support  of  elementary  and  sec- 
ondary schools  from  sixty-three  millions  of  dollars  to 
two  billion  one  hundred  millions  a  year,  and  we  have 
increased  our  appropriations  for  the  preparation  of 
teachers  from  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  \  to 
twenty-seven  millions  of  dollars  a  year.  Within  these 
years  we  have  extended  our  public  school  system  from 
the  elementary  school  up  through  the  high  school,  and 
in  most  states  of  the  Union,  through  college  and  uni- 
versity. We  spend  now  nearly  fifty  million  dollars  a 
year  for  higher  education,  \\2  whereas  we  spent  only 
five  millions  of  dollars  for  higher  educational  insti- 
tutions of  all  kinds  fifty  years  ago.  This  shows  our 
increasing  faith  in  education  and  our  growing  interest 
in  giving  to  every  child,  as  nearly  as  possible,  the  full 
opportunity,  regardless  of  all  conditions,  and  the  equal 
opportunity  for  \  that  development  that  comes  from 
education. 

We  have  learned  the  fact  that  if,  in  any  community 
or  in  any  state  anywhere  in  the  United  States,  there 


1921   CONTEST  253 

are  men  and  women  who  are  not  as  efficient  as  they 
should  be  in  industrial  life,  who  have  not  reached  as 
full  a  degree  [  of  wisdom  and  virtue  as  they  might, 
then  the  average  of  our  society  in  these  respects  is 
lower  than  would  otherwise  be  the  case.  We  are  learn- 
ing that  we  are  all  bound  up  together  in  the  affairs  of 
life,  and  that  in  a  democracy  like  ours  there  is  no  safety 
I  except  in  universal  education.  We  are  learning  in 
these  years  to  obey  the  divine  behest  of  gathering  up 
everywhere  the  fragments,  that  nothing  may  be  lost; 
and  that  the  public  school  system,  therefore,  has  duties 
and  responsibilities  resting  upon  it  that  it  did  not  have 
in  the  days  when  we  Jj3  had  not  thought  quite  so  thor- 
oughly and  accurately  in  regard  to  these  things. 

Mr.  Miller  said  a  few  moments  ago  that  the  public 
school  system  is  not  perfect.  Of  course  it  is  not  perfect 
here  in  Wilmington  or  anywhere  else.  If  you  could 
have  in  Wilmington  today  an  absolutely  perfect  \ 
system,  adapted  in  every  respect  to  your  needs,  by 
that  same  token  it  would  be  out  of  date  and  imperfect 
tomorrow,  because  this  is  the  twentieth  century  and 
the  world  is  moving  and  progress  is  being  made.  Edu- 
cation is  constant  adjustment  and  readjustment,  and 
the  schools  must  constantly  adjust  and  [  readjust 
themselves  to  the  changing  conditions  and  needs.  It 
is  for  this  reason  that  your  school  system,  which  was 
once  more  nearly  perfect  than  it  is  now,  when  the 
demands  were  not  so  great,  is  now  somewhat  out  of 
date. 

A  few  things  must  be  considered  as  fundamental  in 
a  I  public  school  system,  in  any  system  or  anywhere. 
One  is  proper  administration.  In  this  country,  almost 
universally,  we  have  come  to  the  policy  of  having  a 
board  of  education.  I  believe  there  are  few  cities  in 


254        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

which  there  is  not  a  board  of  education,  either  appointed 
or  elected  by  the  []4  people  for  the  purpose  of  repre- 
senting the  people  in  determining  what  things  the  people 
want  to  get  from  their  schools  and  to  what  extent  they 
are  willing  to  support  them.  These  boards,  where 
they  attend  to  their  business  and  do  it  most  perfectly, 
are  not  administrative  or  executive;  they  are  [  legis- 
lative and,  like  all  other  boards,  they  do  not  attempt 
to  attend  to  the  details.  Formerly  our  schools,  even 
in  the  cities,  were  practically  district  schools,  and  each 
little  school  had  its  little  school  board,  and  in  some 
kind  of  way  they  came  together  in  a  larger  board, 
when  the  [  schools  of  a  city  became  the  interest  of 
the  city  as  a  whole.  Following  that,  most  cities  had 
boards  elected  or  appointed  from  the  districts. 

In  this  city  I  believe  you  have  thirteen  members  on 
your  board — usually  an  unlucky  number — twelve  of 
them  are  elected  from  the  twelve  wards  \  of  the  city, 
and  they  therefore  feel  under  special  obligation  to  the 
people  of  the  wards  from  which  they  come,  and  bound 
in  some  kind  of  way  to  look  particularly  after  the 
interests  of  the  people  of  those  wards.  It  may  be  that 
the  people  in  the  wards  understand  that  J|5  they  are 
from  that  ward  and  therefore  they  can  come  to  them, 
and  there  is  danger  that  they  shall  want  to  get  some 
.special  advantage.  (1000  words) 


1921  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Niagara  Falls) 

215  Words  a  Minute — Certificate 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.35 

I  am  very  glad  to  have  you  ask  questions  in  reference 
to  this  matter,  because  I  think  I  am  rather  familiar 
with  business  practices  along  these  lines.  This  has 
been  my  business  for  thirty-five  years.  We  sell  goods 
in  practically  every  state  in  the  Union.  The  methods 
have  been  along  the  same  [  lines  followed  by  others, 
for  all  manufacturers  have  to  adopt  practically  the 
same  methods.  If  some  man  in  Maine,  packing  the 
same  line  of  goods  that  I  do,  makes  a  price,  naturally 
I  have  got  to  be  within  reasonable  reach  of  that  price. 
I  may,  by  having  advertised  my  brands  and  goods, 
and  having  |  a  reputation  for  packing  fine  articles,  be 
able  in  some  instances  to  get  a  little  more  than  some 
other  man ;  and  in  some  particular  line  which  he  packs 
he  may  get  more  than  I  do;  but  first  of  all  let  me  say 
that  this  business  is  a  business  where  a  man  either 
succeeds  or  [  makes  a  failure,  and  usually  very  quickly. 

It  is  one  of  the  simplest  problems  in  the  world, 
that  every  one  of  you  can  readily  understand.  There 
is  nothing  that  appeals  to  a  man  so  much  as  the  food 
that  he  takes  into  his  stomach.  Three  times  a  day  a 
man  goes  to  the  table,  \\l  and  if  there  is  an  article  on 

255 


256        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

the  table  which  his  wife  sets  before  him,  something 
that  is  particularly  fine,  no  matter  what  it  is,  he  asks, 
"Who  packed  these  goods?"  She  has  already  looked 
at  the  label  and  knows  who  is  the  packer.  If  it  is  good, 
the  husband  says,  "This  is  \  very  fine;  whenever  you 
get  anything  more  in  this  line  of  goods,  get  the  goods 
that  are  packed  by  this  packer,  because  this  is  the  best 
thing  of  its  kind  I  have  ever  eaten."  That  makes  the 
demand  for  that  particular  line  of  goods.  If  it  is  very 
poor,  the  husband  says,  "Do  not,  \  for  heaven's  sake, 
get  any  more  of  that  brand  of  goods";  and  the  manu- 
facturer of  that  brand  of  goods  goes  out  of  business 
very  shortly.  However,  after  long  years  of  experience, 
the  housewives  of  this  country  have  become  familiar 
with  the  names  of  the  packers  of  various  commodities; 
the  name  of  the  packer  is  \  on  every  single  can — and 
those  cans  run  into  the  millions  and  millions,  and  go 
into  the  millions  of  homes  in  this  country — and  so  the 
names  of  the  packers  have  become  by-words;  they  have 
become  familiar.  The  housewives  of  the  country  know 
the  names  of  the  packers  as  well  as  I  know  j[2  my  near 
neighbors'  names,  because  they  constantly  read  their 
names  on  the  cans. 

As  I  have  said,  if  the  packer  is  a  reliable,  honest, 
expert  packer,  and  produces  goods  of  excellent  quality 
and  sells  them  at  a  fair  price,  his  goods  become  gen- 
erally known  and  generally  wanted,  and  he  builds  up  a 
big  I  business.  He  may  have  started  in  a  small  way; 
but  he  requires  more  goods;  he  gradually  expands; 
he  builds  more  canneries,  and  by  and  by  gets  to  be  one 
of  the  big  packers.  That  is  how  the  business  of  the 
meat  packers  has  become  so  tremendously  large. 
Within  my  time,  and  within  the  memory  {  of  many  of 
you  here,  the  fathers  of  some  of  the  men  whose  names 


1921   CONTEST  257 

appear  as  the  Big  Five  packers  were  selling  sausages 
from  a  basket  on  the  streets,  but  they  packed  good 
sausages;  they  made  sausages  that  the  people  wanted; 
and  they  could  get  a  good  price  for  them.  The  packer 
who  began  [  in  that  small  way  developed  his  business 
until  today,  perhaps,  his  name  represents  one  of  the 
Big  Five  packers  of  the  country. 

It  is  a  business  that  lends  itself  to  advertising,  per- 
haps, more  than  any  other  business.  I  refer  now  to 
the  packing  of  canned  goods.  Further,  it  leads  either 
into  a  big  business  [[3  or,  as  I  have  said,  the  man  goes 
out  of  business  very  shortly.  That  applies  to  every 
single  element  of  the  business. 

I  remember  in  the  early  days  when  all  of  the  tin  cans 
in  the  country  were  made  by  hand.  We  had  to  employ 
men  to  make  cans  by  hand  with  a  ]  tinker's  iron.  I 
remember  those  days.  That  custom  was  in  vogue  when 
I  started  in  business.  We  had  to  make  our  cans  by 
hand;  men  worked  all  winter  making  cans  by  hand. 
Then,  in  1888,  some  ingenious  mechanic  invented  a 
machine  that  would  manufacture  cans,  and  cans  that 
were  perfect.  In  the  [  old  days  it  was  impossible  to 
make  perfect  cans.  A  man  who  made  cans  by  hand 
would  become  careless,  and  five  or  six  or,  perhaps, 
ten  or  twelve  cans  out  of  every  hundred  would  be  poor. 
If  the  can  was  poor  the  contents  of  the  can  spoiled  and 
became  worthless.  However,  an  ingenious  mechanic  \ 
invented  a  device  that  would  make  cans  by  machinery, 
and  instead  of  making  seven  hundred  or  eight  hundred 
cans  a  day,  as  a  man  and  a  boy  would  do,  that  machine 
would  make  cans  as  fast  as  one  could  feed  the  plate  into 
the  machine.  So  cans  were  made  by  the  hundreds  of 
thousands,  I[4  and  they  were  perfect  cans.  The  manu- 
facturers of  the  cans  guaranteed  that  there  would  be 


258        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

no  more  than  two  poor  cans  in  a  hundred,  and  they 
gave  us,  as  packers,  the  guaranty  that  if  we  would  buy 
the  cans  that  they  manufactured,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
season  more  than  two  per  |  cent  proved  to  be  imperfect, 
they  would  not  only  pay  for  the  cans  but  they  would 
pay  for  the  contents  of  the  cans.  That  machine,  of 
course,  was  bought  up  by  men  who  had  money.  The 
man  who  invented  the  machine,  like  most  inventors, 
was  a  poor  man,  and  men  who  had  money  to  \  develop 
and  build  the  machine  took  hold  with  him  as  partners, 
and  they  established  great  plants  in  the  country  for  the 
manufacture  of  cans.  Those  plants  grew  to  be  very 
large. 

Let  me  say  that  in  1888  the  price  of  two-pound  tin 
cans  was  $22  per  thousand,  but  when  \  the  plants 
for  the  manufacture  of  cans  became  established  and 
they  were  able  to  make  cans  by  the  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands instead  of  six  or  seven  hundred  cans  a  day,  the 
price  kept  dropping  and  dropping  until  it  had  dropped 
from  $22  to  $11  per  thousand.  I  remember  very 
well  talking  \\5  with  the  president  of  a  great  can  manu- 
facturing plant  and  saying  to  him  that  I  hoped  the 
day  would  come  when  we  might  buy  a  two-pound  can 
for  a  cent.  (1075  words) 


1921  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 

(Niagara  Falls)  t 

240  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

JURY  CHARGE 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.40 

Gentlemen  of  the  Jury: 

James  Smith,  the  plaintiff  in  this  case,  brought  this 
action  of  trespass  against  George  Brown  for  the  purpose 
of  recovering  damages  which  he  alleges  he  sustained  on 
May  31,  1915,  by  reason  of  a  collision  with  the  car  of 
the  defendant,  due  to  the  defendant's  negligence. 

You  have  heard  the  counsel  speak  frequently  of  | 
the  negligence  of  the  defendant.  The  burden  is  upon 
the  plaintiff  in  this  case,  as  in  all  cases  of  this  character, 
to  satisfy  you  by  the  weight  of  the  testimony,  or  the 
preponderance  of  the  evidence,  of  the  negligence  of  the 
defendant  that  caused  the  injury;  otherwise  the  plain- 
tiff cannot  recover.  The  mere  fact  that  there  was  an 
accident  and  [  that  the  plaintiff  was  injured,  does  not 
entitle  the  plaintiff  to  a  recovery,  unless  he  satisfies 
you  that  the  injury  was  the  result  of  the  defendant's 
negligence. 

Negligence  is  the  want  of  care,  according  to  the 
circumstances  of  the  case.  This  is  probably  as  com- 
prehensive a  definition  of  negligence  as  can  be  given, 
because  it  applies  to  all  cases;  and  |  the  question  of 
negligence  in  any  given  case  depends  upon  the  circum- 

259 


260        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

stances  existing  at  the  time — the  place  where  the  acci- 
dent happened,  and  everything  that  may  be  taken  into 
consideration,  in  determining  the  question  of  negligence. 

There  is  another  well-established  rule  in  cases  of  this 
kind,  and  that  is  that  the  plaintiff  cannot  recover  if  he 
^  guilty  of  [I1  negligence  that  contributed  to  the  acci- 
dent, even  if  the  defendant  is  also  guilty  of  negligence. 

It  is  claimed  on  the  part  of  the  plaintiff  in  this  case 
that  the  injuries  that  he  sustained  were  due  to  the 
negligence  of  the  defendant  in  the  operating  of  his  car 
on  the  evening  of  the  31st  day  of  May,  1915. 

This  [  case  is  so  clearly  a  question  of  fact  that  there 
is  little  that  the  Court  can  do,  except  to  submit  the 
facts  to  the  jury  and  have  them  determine  what  those 
facts  actually  establish.  It  is  not  the  duty  of  the  Court 
to  take  up  the  testimony  of  each  and  every  witness  and 
undertake  to  say  to  a  jury  what  j  that  witness  has 
testified  to,  and  to  undertake  to  convey  to  the  jury 
any  idea  of  what  the  testimony,  as  a  whole,  actually 
establishes  in  the  case,  because  it  is  not  the  province 
of  the  Court  to  do  that;  it  is  the  province  of  the  jury 
to  determine  complicated  and  conflicting  questions  of 
fact,  and  it  is  the  duty  of  [  the  Court  to  give  the  jury 
the  law  of  the  case.  Therefore,  if  I  allude  in  any  way 
to  the  facts  of  the  case,  what  I  say  is  not  in  any  way  to 
control  you  as  to  what  the  evidence  actually  is,  because 
it  is  your  duty  to  remember  everything  that  every 
witness  said  in  the  case  and  to  j{2  determine  the  case 
according  to  the  testimony  as  a  whole. 

Generally  speaking,  the  plaintiff  in  this  case,  Mr. 
Smith,  and  Mr.  Field  and  their  respective  wives  arrived 
in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  that  evening,  between  five 
and  six  o'clock.  Stopping  for  a  short  time  at  the  Pitts- 
burgh Club  on  Eighth  Street,  they  left  that  club  in  the 


1921   CONTEST  261 

neighborhood  of  half  [  past  six  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
Mr.  Field  was  the  driver  of  the  car  and  on  the  left  of 
Mr.  Field  was  Mrs.  Smith.  Directly  behind  Mr. 
Field  and  on  the  right  side  of  the  car  sat  the  plaintiff 
in  this  case,  Mr.  Smith,  and  on  the  left  sat  Mrs.  Field, 
the  wife  of  the  man  who  was  driving  the  [  car.  The  top 
of  the  car  was  down  at  the  time  of  the  accident. 

It  is  claimed  on  the  part  of  the  plaintiff  that  their 
car,  just  as  they  entered  it,  was  standing  something 
like  200  feet  below  the  Boulevard  and  on  the  right 
side  of  Eighth  Street  as  you  come  up  toward  the 
Boulevard,  at  a  distance  of  [  probably  250  or  300  feet 
north  of  Fifth  Avenue,  and  that  street  is  something 
like  30  feet  wide  in  the  roadway.  It  is  admitted  that 
the  grade  of  Eighth  Street,  before  you.  reach  the  Boule- 
vard, is  three  feet  to  the  hundred,  and  after  crossing 
the  Boulevard  the  grade  of  Eighth  Street  as  it  continues 
north,  is  I}3  seven  feet  to  the  hundred.  I  believe  the 
grade  of  the  Boulevard  to  the  right,  or  east,  of  Eighth 
Street  is  something  like  six  inches  to  the  hundred  feet. 

It  is  claimed  on  the  part  of  the  plaintiff  in  this  case 
and  his  witness,  that  when  they  entered  the  car  where 
it  was  parked,  and  started  on  their  way,  they  |  were 
traveling  slowly  from  there  up  to  the  point  where  the 
accident  happened,  and  I  believe  the  plaintiff  in  this 
case  and  Mr.  Field  placed  the  speed  at  something  like 
ten  or  twelve  miles  an  hour.  They  likewise  claim  that 
when  they  were  traveling  north  on  Eighth  Street, 
they  were  on  the  right  side  of  Eighth  Street,  four,  or 
five  I  feet,  whatever  it  was,  from  the  curb,  and  that  they 
maintained  that  distance  from  what  would  be  the  curb 
of  Eighth  Street  if  it  were  extended  across  the  Boule- 
vard, up  until  the  time  when  their  car  was  struck  by 
the  Brown  car. 


262        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

You  have  heard  the  testimony  of  the  plaintiff  and 
Mr.  Field  upon  that  question;  you  have  heard  the  j 
testimony  of  a  number  of  witnesses  called  by  the 
plaintiff  in  support  of  the  theory  or  claim  of  the  plain- 
tiff that  at  the  time  the  car  in  which  the  plaintiff  was 
riding  reached  the  point  of  the  accident,  the  driver 
of  that  car  was  exercising  reasonable  and  ordinary 
care  in  crossing  that  street,  which  it  was  his  duty,  of 
course,  JJ4  to  do.  It  was  the  duty  of  and  the  obligation 
rested  upon,  the  plaintiff  in  this  case  when  he  ap- 
proached that  crossing,  to  observe  reasonable  and 
ordinary  care  to  avoid  an  accident  on  that  street,  and 
if  he  did  not,  and  he  was  guilty  of  negligence  that  con- 
tributed to  the  accident,  he  cannot  recover  a  verdict, 
even  if  the  defendant  \  was  also  guilty  of  negligence. 

The  claim  on  the  part  of  the  defendant  is  just  the 
reverse  of  that  claimed  by  the  plaintiff  in  this  case: 
that  is,  that  the  accident  was  caused,  not  by  the  neg- 
ligence of  the  defendant,  but  by  the  carelessness  and 
negligence  of  the  plaintiff  in  this  case,  and  his  host, 
Mr.  Field;  and  you  have  \  heard  the  testimony  of  Mr. 
Brown  and  his  witnesses  with  reference  to  how  he 
approached  that  street,  before  the  accident  occurred, 
where  he  came  from,  and  all  the  circumstances  existing 
down  to  the  time  that  the  collision  took  place. 

It  is  claimed  on  the  part  of  the  defendant  that  he 
was  not  driving  at  an  excessive  rate  of  speed,  as  { 
claimed  by  the  plaintiff;  that  he  was  driving  at  a 
moderate  rate  of  speed,  and  that  when  he  came  to  this 
cross  street  called  Eighth  Street,  he  was  then  driving 
at  a  moderate  rate  of  speed,  and  that  the  accident  was 
caused  by  the  plaintiff,  or  the  driver  of  this  car,  driving 
too  close  to  the  center  of  Eighth  Street,  [j5  (1200 
words) 


1921  N.  S.  R.  A.  SPEED  CONTEST 
(Niagara  Falls) 

280  Words  a  Minute — Championship 

TESTIMONY 
Syllable  Intensity: 

With  Q's  and  A's  1.39 

Without  Q's  and  A's      1.30 
Number  of  Q's  and  A's  180 

Q.  What  is  your  name?    A.  James  Brown. 

Q.  Now,  Mr.  Brown,  you  live  in  Brooklyn?  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  What  part  of  Brooklyn?    A.  34  South  9th  Street. 

Q.  What  sort  of  a  building  do  you  live  in?  A.  An 
elevator  building. 

Q.  An  elevator  apartment?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  On  what  floor?    A.  On  the  third  floor. 

Q.  How  many  rooms  do  you  occupy  there?  A. 
Five  I  rooms. 

Q.  Is  there  elevator  service?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  That  takes  you  up  and  down?   A.  Day  and  night. 

Q.  Day  and  night?    A.  Yes,  day  and  night. 

Q.  Now,  when  did  you  purchase  these  premises? 
A.  On  March  25th. 

Q.  On  March  25th,  1920?    A.  Last  year. 

Q.  Before  you  bought  these  premises,  did  you  go  to 
see  the  tenant,  Mr.  King?  A.  No. 

Q.  [  And  have  a  conversation  with  him?  A.  No,  sir. 

263 


264        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  You  did  not?    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  did  not  find  out  from  Mr.  King  whether  or 
not  you  were  to  get  possession  of  that  apartment,  is 
that  correct?  A.  Yes. 

Q.  Who  owns  this  building  besides  yourself?  A. 
Me  and  my  wife. 

Q.  In  whose  name  is  the  deed  to  these  premises?  A, 
The  party  that  I  bought  the  I  house  from,  Mr.  Johnson. 

Q.  Have  you  the  deed  in  your  possession?  A.  I 
have  the  deed  in  my  possession,  but  I  have  not  got  it 
with  me. 

Q.  In  whose  name  did  you  buy  the  house?  A.  In 
whose  name? 

Q.  Is  it  in  your  name?  A.  My  name  and  my  wife's 
name,  both. 

Q.  Didn't  you  take  these  premises  in  the  name  of 
yourself  and  some  other  partner?  \\l  A.  No  other 
partner  at  all. 

Q.  Didn't  you  buy  this  house  with  your  partner? 
A.  No  partner. 

Q.  You  bought  it  all  yourself?  A.  All  myself.  This 
is  my  partner  right  here,  my  wife. 

Q.  What  sort  of  a  house  is  this?  A.  It  is  a  ten-family 
house. 

Q.  Consisting  of  two  apartments  on  each  floor?  A. — 
On  each  floor,  yes. 

Q.  And  Mr.  King  occupies  the  ground  J  floor?  A. 
Yes. 

Q.  And  then  you  have  another  tenant  on  the  other 
side?  A.  Yes. 

Q.  Now,  why  do  you  want  Mr.  King's  apartment 
instead  of  the  other  apartment?  A.  Because  Mr. 
King's  lease  expired  in  July. 

Q.  His  lease  expired  in  July?    A.  In  July,  and  the 


1921   CONTEST  265 

other  apartment  has  a  lease  from  the  other  tenant  for 
a  longer  period. 

Q.  From  the  other  landlord?    A.  From  the  [  other 
landlord,  yes. 

Q.  When  did  that  lease  expire?  A.  I  do  not  remem- 
ber exactly.  Some  time  in  October,  I  think. 

Q.  October  of  last  year?    A.  I  think  so. 

Q.  And  you  renewed  that  lease,  didn't  you?  A. 
No;  I  think  it  expired  in  February. 

Q.  February  of  last  year?    A.  On  last  February,  yes. 

Q.  Well,  are  you  not  sure  about  it?  See  if  you  can- 
not remember  exactly.  \  A.  I  do  not  remember. 

Q.  Don't  you  take  charge  of  the  building?  A. 
Well,  I  do  take  charge  of  the  building,  but  I  know  it 
was  renewed  on  February  first. 

Q.  It  was  renewed  on  February  first?  A.  Yes,  on 
February  first. 

Q.  For  how  many  years?    A.  For  one  year. 

Q.  For  one  year?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  that  expired  February  first  of  this  year? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  I]2  And  on  February  first  of  this  year  you  renewed 
it  again,  didn't  you?  A.  Yes,  I  renewed  it  for  one  year. 

Q.  At  an  increased  rental?    A.  Yes,  $10  increase. 

Q.  Why  didn't  you  try  to  get  possession  of  that 
apartment  on  February  first,  when  that  lease  expired? 
Why  didn't  you  commence  proceedings  then?  A.  I 
started  proceedings  against  this  man,  and  I  expected 
him  to  get  out  in  \  July. 

Q.  But  in  November  the  other  tenant,  King,  did  not 
get  out?  A.  He  did  not  get  out,  no. 

Q.  And  in  February  the  other  tenant's  lease  expired? 
A.  My  lawyer  told  me  to  wait  until  the  Court  gave  a 
decision  in  reference  to  landlords  and  tenants. 


266        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  But  there  have  been  some  vacancies  in  that  house 
since  you  started  proceedings  against  King?  A. 
There  was  a  vacancy  on  ]  October  first;  so  I  have  rented 
the  apartment  to  the  other  tenant. 

Q.  To  the  other  tenant?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  So  there  was  an  apartment  vacant?  A.  Yes, 
there  was. 

Q.  In  that  building?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  then  there  was  another  one,  wasn't  there? 
A.  There  was  another  one  this  month. 

Q.  This  month?    A.  This  month. 

Q.  What  is  your  business?  A.  My  business  is  men's 
furnishing  business.  \ 

Q.  Where  is  that  business  located?  A.  On  14th 
Street. 

Q.  And  these  premises  are  situated  on  Seventh 
Avenue  and  llth  Street?  A.  Near  llth  Street. 

Q.  How  far  is  it  from  your  place  of  business  to  the 
house  where  you  live  now?  A.  That  makes  no  differ- 
ence. 

Q.  That  makes  no  difference?  A.  No;  I  am  not 
taking  care  of  the  store  now. 

Q.  Your  brother  takes  care  H3  of  the  store?  A. 
Yes,  my  brother  takes  care  of  the  store. 

Q.  Well,  the  house  in  Brooklyn  where  you  live,  do 
you  own  that  building?  A.  No,  I  do  not  own  that 
building. 

Q.  Have  you  a  lease  on  your  apartment  there?  A. 
No,  sir. 

Q.  You  are  there  as  a  monthly  tenant?  A.  A 
monthly  tenant,  yes. 

Q.  How  many  rooms  do  you  occupy  there?  A. 
Five  rooms.  | 

Q.  Five  rooms?    A.  Yes. 


1921   CONTEST  267 

Q.  How  many  rooms  does  the  tenant  King  occupy? 
A.  Seven. 

Q.  You  say  you  have  four  children?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  are  the  ages  of  your  children?  A.  One  is 
fourteen,  one  is  twelve,  one  is  about  eight,  and  one  is 
six. 

Q.  Which  of  the  two  children  you  mentioned  is 
suffering  from  rheumatism?  A.  Next  to  the  youngest. 

Q.  What  is  the  [  age  of  that  child?    A.  Eight. 

Q.  You  say  you  now  live  in  an  elevator  apartment 
house?  A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  the  apartment  you  desire  to  get  from  this 
tenant  is  a  walk-up?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  This  apartment  that  you  want  to  get  is  on  the 
ground  floor  of  the  building?  A.  On  the  ground  floor, 
yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  have  been  asked  about  the  other  vacancy 
in  [  that  house.  On  what  floor  was  the  other  vacancy? 
A.  On  the  same  floor. 

Q.  What  floor  is  that?    A.  The  fourth  floor. 

Q.  That  is  on  the  fourth?  A.  Yes,  that  is  on  the 
fourth. 

Q.  And  the  reason  you  want  this  apartment  is 
because  it  is  on  the  ground  floor?  A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  neither  yourself  nor  your  children  can  walk 
up?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  [|4  have  a  talk  with  King  at  that  time? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Why  didn't  you  do  that?   You  are  a  good  business 

man.     A.  Yes,  but— 

Q.  You  had  a  vacancy  then?  A.  I  had  a  vacancy 
then  and  I  sent  him  a  letter,  but  he  never  answered  it. 

Q.  Could  you  get  more  rent  for  that  apartment? 
A.  Yes. 


268        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  And  you  offered  to  give  it  to  him  for  the  J  same 
rent?  A.  For  the  same  rent  as  the  last  tenant. 

Q.  Don't  •  you  know  that  the  ground  floor  in  an 
apartment  house  is  worse  for  rheumatism  than  an 
apartment  upstairs?  A.  Well,  I  do  not  know  anything 
about  that. 

Q.  Don't  you  know  that  the  ground  floor  is  generally 
damp?  A.  This  is  not  a  ground  floor. 

Q.  On  what  floor  do  you  live  in  Brooklyn?  A.  I 
live  I  on  the  third  floor. 

Q.  Why  did  you  buy  a  house  on  Seventh  Avenue 
instead  of  uptown?  A.  Because  where  I  lived  then  is 
right  near  the  river,  and  the  doctor  ordered  me  to  move 
out. 

Q.  Did  you  tell  him  why  you  wanted  this  apartment 
for  yourself  and  for  your  own  family?  A.  Well— 

Q.  Say  yes  or  no.  Did  you  tell  him  that?  A.  No, 
I  did  I  not  tell  him  that.  I  merely  said  I  wanted  the 
apartment  for  myself,  you  understand. 

Q.  What  did  he  say  about  that?  A.  I  do  not  under- 
stand. 

Q.  What  did  he  say  when  you  told  him  you  wanted 
the  apartment  for  yourself?  A.  I  really  do  not  remem- 
ber what  he  said. 

Q.  He  did  not  say  he  would  give  it  to  you,  did  he? 
A.  No,  he  did  not  say  [|5  that.  (1400  words) 


1908  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP 

(Olympia,  London) 

180  Words  a  Minute 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.41 

Sir, — Throughout  my  political  life  I  have  been  a 
strong  Navy  man,  and  such  I  remain;  but  I  confess 
my  sympathy  with  and  my  inclination  to  support  Mr. 
Murray  Macdonald's  resolution.  I  should  not  obtrude 
my  personal  view  in  your  columns  did  I  not  know  I 
that  my  attitude  is  typical  of,  and  in  fact,  identical 
with,  that  of  a  large  number  of  Liberal  members  of  the 
House  of  Naval  Estimates  which  a  responsible  Govern- 
ment— any  responsible  Government — has  declared  to 
be  I  necessary  for  the  safety  of  the  country  and  the 
maintenance  of  our  command  of  the  sea.  I,  and  those 
who  think  with  me,  resent  the  emergence  into  publicity 
and  the  political  arena  of  the  professional  and  the  ex- 
pert. We  know  the  high  value  of  this  \  expert  opinion; 
we  know  also  the  limitation  of  the  expert's  views.  He 
considers,  and  we  expect  him  to  consider,  the  Army  and 
the  Navy  as  existing  for  their  own  sake,  and  the  nation 
as  existing  for  the  sake  of  the  Army  or  the  Navy,  as  [[ 
the  case  may  be,  with  two  sole  functions  and  duties— 
to  furnish  recruits  and  provide  cash.  But  no  expert 
even  ventures  to  say  that  our  naval  power  is  not  in  a 
satisfactory  position  today;  if  it  errs  it  errs  by  excess. 

269 


270        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Never  before  in  my  ]  lifetime  has  the  expert  admitted 
so  much  of  either  Army  or  Navy.  It  is  the  future  he 
fears,  but  what  future?  1914  or  1920?  I  cannot  bring 
myself  to  feel  alarmed  today  about  what  may  happen 
in  j  1914  or  1920,  not  because  I  do  not  care,  but  be- 
cause I  know  the  England  and  the  English  House  of 
Commons  of  1914  and  1920  will  know  how  to  take  care 
of  the  interest  of  [  the  country  then  as  well  as  we  do 
now.  One  thing  I  may  prophesy  safely,  and  that  is 
that  any  naval  program  extending  for  so  many  years 
in  advance  will  not  be  carried  out  as  planned  by  any 
nation.  It  may  exceed  it  or  it  I  \  may  fall  short  of  it;  but 
it  is  safe  to  say  the  program  will  be  revised  and  modified 
from  time  to  time  to  suit  changing  circumstances.  The 
German  program  of  1900  has  been  cut  to  pieces,  not  for 
the  first  time,  by  the  present  \  plan;  and  it  is  certain 
that  the  strongest  influence  in  effecting  any  modification 
in  either  direction  in  Germany  will  be  the  course  of 
action  of  the  Government  and  the  House  of  Commons 
of  this  country.  I  am  content,  for  the  purpose  of  the 
Estimates  for  this  {  year,  to  look  as  far  as  1910.  In  that 
year  we  shall  have  seven  "  Dreadnoughts "  in  commis- 
sion, and  Germany  one  or  perhaps  two,  and  no  other 
European  Power  any.  Now,  is  it  not  folly  and  waste, 
at  this  particular  moment,  to  urge  j  on  the  building  of 
battleships?  It  is  simply  to  trump  your  own  trick.  It  is 
neither  whist  nor  business  to  do  anything  of  the  kind. 
When  the  "Dreadnought"  appeared,  battleship  build- 
ing in  foreign  yards  paused,  other  naval  Powers  had  to 
consider  how  to  meet  the  [\  new  situation.  It  is  their 
turn  to  show  their  hand  now,  and  it  will  be  ours  to  take 
the  next  trick  when  their  cards  are  on  the  table,  as  we 
have  taken  the  present  trick.  We  have  heard  that  across 
the  Atlantic  the  " Dreadnought "  is  |  to  be  made  "look 


1908  TESTS  271 

silly  "to  adopt  the  phrase  of  the  yellow  journal  in  which 
I  read  the  news,  by  a  new  "Skeered-at-nothing"  class  of 
battleship.  It  is  clear  we  cannot  build  anything  to 
"skeer"  a  "Skeered-at-nothing"  until  we  see  ]  what 
she  is  to  be  like.  It  appears  to  me  it  must  be  our  policy 
to  husband  our  resources  to  meet  new  developments 
by  new  developments,  seeing  that  it  is  always  in  our 
power  to  catch  up  and  overtake  any  other  nation  in 
shipbuilding.  Naval  {  technical  authorities  tell  us  the 
Germans  can,  if  they  will,  build  a  battleship  as  quickly 
as  we  built  the  "Dreadnought."  It  may  be  true  that 
they  can  build  one  ship,  but  they  cannot  build  three  at 
this  pace;  we  can,  and  more.  I  am  aware  \\  in  the 
departent  of  construction,  as  in  other  departments, 
some  continuity  must  be  observed.  Our  great 
establishments  must  be  kept  going,  at  high  pres- 
sure or  at  low  pressure;  the  private  yards  cannot 
be  abandoned  and  taken  up  again  capriciously.  I 
admit  this.  But  although  we  j  cannot  stop  we  can 
"go  slow."  I  have  confined  my  remarks  to  Vote  8 
of  the  Navy  Estimates,  and  to  this  year.  But  I  believe 
the  moral  effect  of  the  course  I  recommend  would 
go  beyond  Vote  8  and  this  year.  It  would  be  evidence 
j  of  our  unwillingness  to  enter  into  another  mad  inter- 
national race  of  naval  expansion;  but  it  would  be  no 
evidence  that  we  should  decline  the  challenge  if  it  is 
persistently  forced  upon  us.  It  would  give  time  for 
others  as  well  as  ourselves  to  reflect  upon  [  the  cost  and 
consequences  of  their  action.  And  it  would  add  to  our 
naval  strength  to  husband  our  resources  instead  of  ex- 
pending them  exactly  at  the  time  and  exactly  upon  the 
material  in  which  we  have  now  an  unchallengeable 
supremacy — I  am,  Sir,  yours,  etc.  [\ 


1908  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP 

(Olympia,  London) 

200  Words  a  Minute 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.49 

And  now,  gentlemen,  for  a  short  time,  if  you  have 
patience  with  me,  I  wish  to  turn  to  the  subjects  which 
interest  me  nearer  home,  and  especially  to  those  ques- 
tions of  social  reform  and  national  development  which 
are  occupying  our  attention  in  the  House  of  Commons  at 
the  present  moment,  j  I  have  only  time  for  a  few  words. 
To  my  thinking  the  amendment  of  the  land  and  rating 
system  comes  within  both  these  categories  of  social  re- 
form and  national  development;  and,  as  I  think  my 
right  honorable  friend  near  me  said  the  other  day,  it 
happens  also  to  be  a  \  question  which  a  free  trade  Gov- 
ernment can  hardly  leave  alone  because  it  is  a  free  trade 
Government.  We  have  been  fiercely  attacked  almost 
before  we  have  begun.  A  kind  of  frenzy  seizes  the 
Unionist  party  whenever  it  is  proposed  to  touch  the 
land,  and  the  leader  of  the  Opposition  has  j  already 
badly  fallen  a  victim  to  this  frenzy,  and  we  must 
expect  to  see  this  painful  form  of  seizure.  Make 
up  your  minds  to  that.  I  do  not  care  whether  it 
is  in  extending  the  facilities  for  the  laborer  to  cul- 
tivate the  land,  or  in  acquiring  land  for  cottages,  or  j| 
in  increasing  the  security  of  tenure  for  the  farmer,  or  in 

272 


1908  TESTS  273 

readjusting  the  incidence  of  local  taxation  in  such  a  \vay 
as  to  secure  for  the  community  the  future  increment  of  its 
own  improvements — I  do  not  care  in  which  of  these  par- 
ticular directions  we  may  move,  we  shall  be  [  denounced 
as  the  enemies  and  unsettlers  of  property.  And  whether 
or  not  our  methods  be  modest  or  bold — it  does  not  seem 
to  matter  which — we  shall,  I  am  afraid,  be  held  up  to 
contumely  as  a  set  of  low  bred  fellows,  fit  company  for 
poachers.  I  have  my  own  I  views  as  to  which  party 
deserves  these  hard  epigrams,  the  party  which  sets  its 
face  like  flint  against  any  adaptation  to  the  changing  con- 
ditions and  needs  of  the  nation  of  the  conditions  under 
which  property  is  held,  or  the  party  which  perceives  that 
on  such  a  basis  as  that  property  [  itself  is  imperilled. 
If  a  man  dumps  his  goods  down  in  the  middle  of  the 
road  and  causes  an  obstruction,  his  property,  being  in 
that  spot  and  under  those  conditions,  is  not  secure, 
and  it  will  be  removed.  The  streaming  traffic  will  flow 
on  again  notwithstanding  the  man's  protests  and  \\ 
assertions  that  the  sanctity  of  property  has  been  violated. 
In  the  same  way,  if  the  ownership  of  a  particular  form 
of  property  is  held  on  a  tenure  so  absolute  that  it  enables 
men  quite  unconsciously  perhaps,  very  often  to  ob- 
struct, to  divert,  to  dry  up  the  sources  of  wealth  and  ] 
well-being  on  which  the  nation  depends,  then  I  am  dis- 
posed to  think  that  the  friends  of  property  are  certainly 
not  to  be  found  amongst  those  who  on  every  proposal 
for  reform,  on  every  effort  at  improvement,  no  matter 
how  fair  and  generous,  have  nothing  better  to  offer 
than  the  cry  j  of  "Hands  off."  I  wish  to  guard  studi- 
ously against  any  provocative  word  or  suggestion;  I 
have  in  my  mind,  not  individuals,  but  a  system. 
Nothing  would  please  me  more  than  to  find  that  the 
individuals  who  appertain  to  that  system  were  willing 


274        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

to  co-operate  in  making  it  subserve  public  purposes. 
j  I  am  convinced  we  could  arrange  just  terms 
which  would  enable  them,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
State,  to  liberate  land  where  it  is  needed,  whether 
for  cultivation  or  for  building,  and  to  reform  our 
system,  but  terms  cannot  be  made  if  our  proposals 
are  met  by  irreconcilable  opposition  or  I|  unconscion- 
able demands,  if  our  efforts  to  keep  the  people  on  the 
land  and  to  increase  the  utility  of  the  soil  are  persistently 
to  be  treated  as  attacks  on  property  and  on  classes. 
But  we  point  out  another  thing,  that  the  Unionist 
party  is  not  in  a  position  to  maintain  that  j  there  is  no 
need  of  some  change.  It  has  been  clamorous  in  assert- 
ing and  in  deploring  the  deserted  villages  and  the  ruined 
agriculture,  as  they  call  it.  Before  the  general  election 
wherever  two  or  three  landowners  and  tariff  reformers 
were  gathered  together,  what  was  it  that  took  place? 
You  heard,  j  to  begin  with,  of  the  deplorable  con- 
dition of  agriculture;  you  heard  of  rural  depopu- 
lation and  urban  deterioration  and  congestion. 
Yes,  you  heard  bubbling  up  from  the  same  source 
specious  ideas  about  the  Empire,  and  practical,  highly 
practical,  suggestions  about  its  utility  as  a  handle  for 
the  imposition  of  corn  taxes  I  and  similar  fertilizing 
agencies.  They  admitted— nay,  they  insisted — that 
regeneration  was  required,  and  they  were  right  about 
that ;  but  where  they  were  wrong  was  about  the  remedy. 
I  suggest  to  advocates  of  this  existing  system  that  they 
should  search  their  hearts  and  ask  themselves  whether 
their  position  is  so  j  {  strong  and  so  well  founded  that  they 
can  rely  upon  such  a  weapon  in  its  defence  as  con- 
temptuous and  angry  words.  But  the  allegation  is  made, 
and  I  must  refer  to  it,  that  the  measures  which  the 
Government  will  introduce  are  due  not  to  any  concern 


1908  TESTS  275 

on  our  part  for  j  the  condition  of  the  country — no 
Liberal  Government  in  my  memory  has  ever  been  cred- 
ited by  its  opponents  with  sincerity,  unless  that  sug- 
gestion was  coupled  with  a  broad  and  kindly  suggestion 
of  insanity — but  to  our  desire  to  find  a  stick  with  which 
to  beat  the  House  of  Lords.  \  If  the  Lords  object  to  our 
proposals,  if  they  mangle  and  attenuate  them,  it  is 
arguable,  perhaps,  that  in  that  case  the  action  of  the 
Lords  will  be  profoundly  ill-advised.  But  if  there  were 
no  House  of  Lords  we  should  still  be  here  to  tell  you, 
and  you  would  I  still  be  there  to  tell  us  if  we  failed 
to  tell  you  that  the  land  question  must  be  dealt  with. 
Well,  I  have  only  one  more  word.  To  speak  of  the 
things  we  have  taken  in  hand,  are  we  to  succeed  in 
them  or  to  fail?  I  think  we  will  succeed.  |  [ 


1908  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP 

(Olympia,  London) 

220  Words  a  Minute 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.45 

It  is  perfectly  clear  to  me  that  when  we  consider 
what  are  the  real  needs  of  the  Empire  it  will  be  seen 
that  we  cannot  indefinitely  continue  a  system  which 
exposes  us  to  the  least  uncertainty  in  regard  to  the 
organization  of  our  Army;  because,  be  it  remarked,  the 
question  of  uncertainty  is  a  much  \  more  important 
factor  than  the  actual  question  of  numbers.  I  have 
little  doubt  that  a  great  number  of  these  men  will 
extend;  and  I  am  positive  of  this,  that  neither  I,  nor 
any  successor,  if  I  may  venture — perhaps  I  ought 
not — to  speak  in  the  name  of  any  successor,  will  ever 
consent  to  give  j  way  to  that  policy  of  bribes  and  doles 
which  my  honorable  friend  has  suggested  as  a  remedy 
for  the  difficulty  in  which  we  find  ourselves.  The 
remedy  is  a  different  one.  The  remedy  for  the  moment 
is  to  find  the  drafts  as  best  we  can  and  to  relieve  our- 
selves from  the  difficulty  as  well  as }  the  circumstances 
allow.  The  difficulty  has  not  become  acute;  but  those 
who  are  responsible  for  the  administration  of  the  Army 
have  to  look  ahead  and  anticipate  the  day  when  it  will 
become  acute.  But  it  certainly  does  not  enter  into 
the  scheme  of  the  War  Office  to  hold  out  any  prospect 

276 


1908  TESTS  277 

of  bribes  or  doles  ]j  to  the  men  who  serve.   We  believe 
that  there  is  another  remedy,  and  that  consists  in 
altering  this  system  and  substituting  for  it  one  more 
in  harmony  with  the  conditions  of  our  Empire.    I  may 
point  out  in  passing  that  this  introduction  of  the  three 
years'  system  has  had  a  very  peculiar  effect  on  the  [ 
drafts  for  India.     It  will  be  seen  on  reflection  that 
if  you  do  not  allow  a  man  to  make  his  election  until 
he  has  been  two  years  in  the  service,  the  period  of  his 
departure   for   India   is    considerably   postponed.     A 
great  many  men  who  were  the  requisite  age  for  India, 
namely  20  years  of  [  age,  used  to  go  out  long  before 
they  had  completed  two  years'  service.  Now  a  man  has 
the  option  of  waiting  for  two  years  of  his  service  before 
he  extends;    and  the  result  is  that,  if  the   trooping 
season  does  not  coincide — and  very  often  it  does  not — 
with  the  date  of  the  termination  of  [  his  two  years' 
service,   his  departure  is  postponed  until  something 
like  23^  years  after  the  date  of  his  enlistment.    The 
result  of  that  is  that  the  period  of  his  service  in  India 
and  the  Colonies  is  decreased,  the  period  in  this  country 
is  increased,  and  the  number  requisite  to  furnish  the 
drafts  }I  is  increased  in  proportion.    I  think  I  have  met 
the  honorable   member's  question  fairly  and  openly. 
My  reply  is  that  I  am  as  concerned  as  he  can  be  as 
to  the  possible  consequences  of  the  continuance  of 
this  system,  and  I  am  as  convinced  as  he  can  be  that 
it  is  our  duty  not  to  [  attempt  to  tinker  with  the  system, 
but  to  alter  it  so  that  we  may  be  free  from  the  uncer- 
tainty in  advance  as  to  the  prolongation  of  the  period 
of  service.    My  honorable  friend  spoke  of  the  desirabil- 
ity of  the  Government's  making  some  pronouncement 
with  regard  to  their  intentions  in  respect  to  the  Army  at 
large.  [     He  suggested  that  it  is  my  duty  to  propound 


278        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

a  remedy  for  the  evils  which  I  in  common  with  himself 
believe  exist  in  the  organization  of  the  Army.  I  admit 
the  soundness  of  that  proposition,  and  I  agree  with  his 
conclusions.  I  should  like  to  make  it  quite  clear  to 
honorable  members  that  there  is  {  no  question  at  all, 
whatever  they  may  think  about  the  times  and  seasons  of 
my  statement  on  the  subject,  there  is  no  question  at 
all  about  the  indefinite  prolongation  of  the  present 
system.  We  feel  that  there  are  difficulties  connected 
with  the  present  system  which  can  only  be  met  by  an 
alteration.  Therefore  I  beg  !j  honorable  members  to 
dismiss  from  their  minds  the  belief  that  there  is  any  con- 
flict of  opinion  or  can  be  any  conflict  of  opinion  upon 
this  question  at  all.  What  we  are  face  to  face  with  is 
not  having  to  make  up  our  minds  as  to  whether  a 
change  is  necessary  or  desirable.  Many  things  have  \ 
happened — among  other  things,  the  report  of  the  Com- 
mission on  the  War,  which  my  honorable  friend  most 
justly  said  was  a  pronouncement  which  was  bound  to 
have  weight  with  any  responsible  Government — many 
things  have  happened  which  have  confirmed  some  of  us 
in  the  belief,  and  created  the  belief  in  others,  that  a 
change  in  I  the  organization  and  administration  of  our 
Army  is  absolutely  essential.  I  think  the  problem  is 
clear.  We  have  got  to  get  an  Army  suited  to  the  needs 
of  the  country  and  the  Empire.  We  have  got  to  have  an 
efficient  Army  in  the  first  place.  The  second  thing 
is  to  make  very  large  reductions  in  I  our  Army  expendi- 
ture. I  believe,  when  I  say  that,  I  am  representing  the 
opinions  of  nine-tenths  of  the  Army  members  of  this 
House.  I  believe  there  is  almost  absolute  unanimity 
in  this  House,  and  a  very  large  consensus  of  opinion 
out  of  the  House,  that  we  must  have  large  reductions 
in  our  Army  expenditure,  jl  There  is  a  third  problem, 


1908  TESTS  279 

which  I  do  not  say  rises  superior  to  but  to  a  certain 
extent  dominates  the  other  two.  To  reduce  the  cost 
of  the  Army  you  must  reduce  the  strength  of  the  Army; 
and  I  have  to  propose  such  reductions  as  will  commend 
themselves  to  the  general  feeling  and  general  accept- 
ance |  of  this  House,  will  make  our  Army  efficient,  and 
at  the  same  time  will  be  consistent  with  sound  economy. 
I  do  not  despair  at  all.  I  believe  with  my  honorable 
friend  that  the  problem  is  soluble.  I  am  sanguine 
enough  to  believe  that  I  can  suggest  a  remedy  which 
shall  be  fully  acceptable  to  the  j  House  and  the  country. 
If  I  do  not  believe  that  I  should  certainly  not  trespass 
further  on  the  good  will  of  my  honorable'  friend.  But  I 
will  ask  him,  if  he  will  give  me  that  indulgence,  not  to 
press  me  unduly,  but  at  any  rate  to  remember  that  the 
problem  is  complex,  and  if  he  {  finds  me  fail,  to  remem- 
ber that  I  shall  be  as  conscious  of  the  failure  as  he  can 
be.  I  shall,  at  any  rate,  not  ask  him  to  accept  any- 
thing which  I  do  not  believe  to  be  in  the  true  interests 
of  the  Army  and  which  does  not  conform  in  every 
respect  to  its  best  administration.  \[ 


1909  BRITISH  .CHAMPIONSHIP 

(Olympia,  London) 

180  Words  a  Minute 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.40 

I  propose  then  to  speak  about  the  House  of  Lords 
tonight.  But  if  I  do  not  do  so  with  all  the  passion, 
and  with  all  the  fervor,  and  with  all  the  power  of  invec- 
tive which  orators  in  a  less  responsible  situation  might 
be  able  to  \  indulge  in — to  your  unbounded  delight 
and  their  own — you  must  put  it  down  not  so  much  to 
my  want  of  zeal  in  the  cause  as  to  the  fact  that  I 
should  be  wanting  in  my  duty  as  a  Minister  if  I  ap- 
proach the  greatest  \  constitutional  question  that  has 
arisen  in  England  for  two  centuries  or  more  without  a 
solemn  sense  of  the  responsibility  of  my  words.  Now, 
gentlemen,  this  question  of  the  House  of  Lords  is  not 
a  new  question.  It  is  over  a  hundred  years  since  Mr. 
Pitt  [  declared  that  that  was  part  of  the  Constitution 
which  would  first  give  way.  It  is  just  under  a  hundred 
years  since  Mr.  Burke  said:  "There  is  an  end  of  that 
part  of  the  Constitution."  But  for  ninety-nine  years 
the  House  of  Lords  has  continued  \\l  to  exist,  and,  if 
you  will  pardon  me  one  word  of  egotism,  I  will  say  all 
through  my  political  life  it  is  the  question  to  which  I 
have  attached  the  most  importance.  On  two  occasions 
I  have  brought  it  before  the  notice  of  the  House  I  of 
Lords  themselves,  and  on  neither  occasion  have  I 

280 


1909  CONTEST  281 

spared  or  minced  my  language.  And  some  five  years 
ago,  when  at  a  great  Liberal  conference  in  Scotland, 
they  spread  out  their  plan  of  operations,  and  the 
number  of  objects  with  which  they  proposed  to  deal,  [ 
I  told  them  that  their  program  was  a  foolish  program, 
for  it  omitted  the  one  question  which  took  the  first 
place  in  the  realization  of  all  their  projects,  and  that 
was  a  drastic  dealing  with  the  House  of  Lords.  Well, 
when  I  have  said  these  |  things,  all  my  sagacious  friends 
have  said,  ''Why  do  you  tilt  at  this  windmill?  Why 
don't  you  take  up  practical  subjects?  That  question 
will  settle  itself."  But  that  question  will  not  settle 
itself.  It  cannot  settle  itself,  and,  if  you  do  not  take 
care,  it  U2  will  wreck  many  Liberal  measures  and  many 
Liberal  governments  before  you  have  done  with  it. 
I  will  tell  you  why.  When  'Liberal  governments  come 
back  to  the  country  to  give  an  account  of  their  steward- 
ship, they  do  so  too  often  with  many  promises  unful- 
filled owing  I  to  the  action  of  the  House  of  Lords.  But 
the  country  does  not  nicely  scrutinize  the  reason  for 
that  emptiness.  They  blame  the  Liberal  Ministry  and 
the  Liberal  majority.  But,  gentlemen,  I  shall  be  asked 
the  question  that  Lord  Melbourne  asked  about  every 
political  problem.  1  "Why  not  leave  it  alone?"  After 
all,  it  may  be  said,  we  have  got  on  with  it  for  many 
centuries.  We  have  prospered  in  spite  of  it.  There 
are  worse  things  than  it,  such  as  our  climate — and  if 
we  can  bear  with  our  climate,  [  is  it  worth  while  working 
ourselves  up  in  a  rage  against  the  House  of  Lords? 
Well,  that  might  have  been  very  well  if  things  had 
remained  as  they  were.  But  while  the  House  of  Lords 
has  remained  as  it  was,  the  circumstances  have  changed 
all  [I3  around  it.  If  you  pull  down  a  street  and  rebuild 
it  all  with  the  exception  of  one  house,  you  will  probably 


282        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

find  in  the  course  of  a  year  that  the  house  will  be  con- 
demned as  a  dangerous  structure.  On  three  separate 
occasions  you  have  in  J  the  last  sixty  years,  popularized 
the  House  of  Commons.  In  1832  you  passed  the  first 
great  Reform  Bill.  The  House  of  Lords  resisted  it  to 
the  point  of  death.  Had  it  resisted  a  little  more,  you 
would  have  had  no  question  of  the  \  House  of  Lords  to 
deal  with  now.  Well,  that  changed  the  balance  of 
the  Constitution,  because  not  merely  did  it  make  the 
House  of  Commons  in  itself  infinitely  more  powerful 
and  infinitely  more  representative,  but  it  diminished 
the  influence  of  the  House  of  Lords.  In  ]  1867  you  had 
another  great  democratic  Reform  Bill,  which  the 
House  of  Lords  allowed  to  become  law  at  once,  because 
it  was  introduced  by  a  Tory  government.  And  in 
1884  you  had  another  Reform  Bill  introduced  by  a 
Liberal  government,  and  jj4  fiercely  resisted  by  the 
House  of  Lords,  which  opposition  produced  another 
great  outburst  of  popular  feeling,  but  again  ended  by 
strengthening  enormously  the  power  of  the  House  of 
Commons  itself.  And  in  1886  another  event  took 
place,  which  still  further  weakened  the  House  J  of 
Lords.  Even  up  to  the  time  of  the  last  Reform  Bill  of 
1884,  there  was  some  sort  of  balance  between  the  two 
parties  in  the  House  of  Lords.  I  even  recollect,  I 
believe,  once  in  my  life  being  in  a  majority.  But  { 
in  1886  the  House  of  Lords  changed  its  character  for 
good  or  for  evil.  In  1886  the  proposal  of  the  Irish 
Home  Rule  Bill  alienated  the  great  remaining  mass  of 
the  Whig  or  Liberal  Peers,  and  from  that  time  to  this  ] 
the  House  of  Lords  has  represented  no  balance  of  par- 
ties whatever,  but  an  overwhelming  mass  of  Tories  and 
so-called  Liberal  Unionists,  with  a  handful  of  Liberals 
thrown  in.  .  .  .[J5  (16  words  short — 884  words) 


1909  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP 

(Olympia,  London) 

200  Words  a  Minute 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.44 

And  so,  gentlemen,  we  come  to  the  present  state  of 
things.  What  is  that  state  of  things?  It  is  on  the  one 
side,  a  House  elected  on  almost  the  most  popular 
possible  basis,  representing  with  freedom  and  direct- 
ness the  wishes  of  an  aspiring  and  educated  people 
and  on  the  other  {  side  a  House  almost  entirely  com- 
posed of  hereditary  peers — and  of  hereditary  peers 
opposed  to  popular  aspirations.  That  House  so  com- 
posed claims  a  right  to  control  and  to  veto  in  all  re- 
spects, except  finance,  the  proposals  of  the  House  of 
Commons.  See  how  it  stands  according  to  figures. 
The  House  [  of  Commons  consists  of  670  members, 
of  whom  350  or  thereabouts  support  the  Government 
—the  Government  of  the  day.  The  House  of  Lords 
consists  of  some  570  members,  of  whom  about  thirty 
support  the  Government  of  the  day.  Nor  can  there  [ 
be  any  possible  change  in  these  conditions.  No  Liberal 
Government,  however  liberal  or  however  little  liberal 
it  may  be,  can  ever  hope  to  possess  much  more  than 
five  per  cent  of  the  whole  House  of  Lords  in  its  support, 
and  any  Tory  Government  would  be  disgraced  if  it 
possessed  much  [I1  less  than  the  remaining  ninety-five 

283 


284        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

per  cent.  And  you  must  remember  that  this  House, 
which  contains  five  per  cent  of  Liberals  and  ninety- 
five  per  cent  of  another  party,  which  I  will  not  now 
define,  rules  Scotland,  which  sympathizes  with  the 
five  per  cent;  rules  Wales,  which  sympathizes  with  \ 
the  five  per  cent;  rules  Ireland,  which  sympathizes 
with  the  five  per  cent  and  rules  England,  which, 
except  on  the  question  of  Home  Rule,  does,  I  believe, 
in  fact  and  in  general  practice,  sympathize  with  the 
five  per  cent  also.  Now,  gentlemen,  suppose  at  the 
next  election  you  were  to  [  send  back  only  100  Liberals 
to  the  House  of  Commons.  There  would  be  thirty 
Liberal  Peers.  Suppose  you  were  to  send  200  Liberals 
back  to  the  House  of  Commons,  there  would  be  thirty 
Liberal  Peers.  Suppose  you  were  to  send  back  300 
Liberals  to  the  House  of  \  Commons.  There  would  be 
thirty  Liberal  Peers.  Suppose  you  were  to  send  500 
Liberals  back  to  the  House  of  Commons.  There  would 
be  thirty  Liberal  Peers.  Suppose  you  sent  600  Liberals 
back,  there  would  be  only  thirty  Liberal  Peers.  Gen- 
tlemen, what  a  mockery  is  this!  We  boast  of  j  2  our 
free  institutions.  We  swell  as  we  walk  abroad  and  see 
other  countries,  we  make  broad  the  phylacteries  of 
freedom  on  our  foreheads.  We  thank  God  that  we 
are  not  as  other  less  favored  men;  and  all  the  time 
we  endure  this  mockery  of  freedom.  You  are  bound 
hand  and  \  foot.  You  may  vote  and  vote  until  you 
are  black  in  the  face.  It  will  not  change  the  face  of 
matters  at  all.  The  House  of  Lords  still  will  control 
at  its  will  the  measures  of  your  representatives.  You 
will  have  to  go  hat  in  hand  to  the  House  of  j  Lords, 
and  ask  them  to  pass  your  measures  in  however  muti- 
lated a  shape.  It  has  practically  come  to  this.  We 
know  the  House  of  Lords  is  a  party  body  of  one  com- 


1909  CONTEST  285 

plexion.     We  cannot  any  longer  introduce  the  bills 
we  think  fit  unless  we  want  to  waste  the  time  of  1  the 
House   of   Commons  in   an  absolutely   bootless   and 
fruitless  process,  or  else  we  can  only  introduce  bills 
which  we  may  think  will  have  some  possible  chance  of 
passing  the  Tory  party  in  the  House  of  Lords.    Now,  of 
course,  you  may  think  that  it  is  some  pique,  and  blighted 
!I3  and  mortified  ambition  at  not  leading  a  majority 
in  the  House  of  Lords,  that  induces  me  to  take  so 
gloomy  a  view  of  that  body.    But  I  think  I  could  show 
you  by  a  very  simple  illustration  that  it  is  a  grave  con- 
stitutional question,  which  does  not  depend  merely  on  I 
the  party  to  which  you  belong.    Suppose  we  were  to 
reverse  the  case,  and  suppose  the  House  of  Lords  were 
to  consist  permanently  of  520  Liberals,  and  some  thirty 
or  forty  Conservatives.     Don't  you  think,  then,  that 
the  Conservatives  would  find  that  there  was  a  great 
constitutional  \  question  involved?    How  long  do  you 
think  the  Conservative  party  would  stand  up  for  the 
House  of  Lords  as  an  essential  part  of  the  Constitution, 
if  it  found  out  that  it  only  carried  its  measures  through 
Parliament  on  the  sufferance  of  a  permanent  Liberal 
majority  against  them?    I  confess  quite  \  freely  that  I 
am  a  Second  Chamber  man  in  principle.    I  am  all  for 
a  Second  Chamber.     I  am  not  for  the  uncontrolled 
government  of  a  Single  Chamber  any  more  than  I  am 
for  the  uncontrolled  government  of  a  single  man.    The 
temptation  of  absolute  power  is  too  great  for  |  any 
man  or  any  body  of  men,  and  I  believe — though  I  am 
speaking  from  recollection — that  so  keen  and  ardent 
a  Radical  as  John  Stuart  Mill  held  that  opinion  too. 
I  am  also  strongly  of  opinion  that  all  experience  points 
to  having  a  Second  Chamber  of  some  sort.     That,  | 
however,  does  not  imply  an  admiration  for  the  House 


286        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

of  Lords.  The  fact  is  that  to  my  mind  it  is  an  absolute 
danger,  an  invitation  to  revolution,  that  there  should 
be  an  assembly  of  this  kind  in  this  position;  and  there- 
fore it  is  as  a  lover  of  the  Constitution,  as  \  well  as  a 
lover  of  freedom,  that  I  implore  you  to  take  this 
question  into  your  immediate  consideration.  If  I 
hesitate  to  choose  between  no  Second  Chamber  and  the 
House  of  Lords  as  it  is — it  is  for  this  reason,  that,  in 
my  judgment  the  House  of  Lords  is  not  \  a  Second 
Chamber  at  all.  I  will  not  say  it  is  a  Tory  caucus, 
because  that  might  be  considered  an  offensive  expres- 
sion, and  moreover,  a  caucus  is  a  temporary  body. 
But  I  will  say  this,  that  it  is  a  permanent  party  organi- 
zation, controlled  for  party  purposes  and  by  party 
managers.  JJ5  (1000  words) 


1909  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP 

(Olympia,  London) 

220  Words  a  Minute 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.42 

Now,  then,  gentlemen,  I  say  this:  I  will  not  go 
further  into  the  different  attributes  of  the  House  of 
Lords — you  know  them  well  enough,  and  I  cannot  go 
into  them  at  great  length  tonight — I  say  that  this  is 
a  great  national  question,  and  a  great  national  danger. 
If  the  other  party,  which  professes  \  to  have  a  monopoly 
of  statesmanship  had  had  any  statesmanship  at  all, 
they  would  have  settled  it  long  ago  by  bringing  the 
House  of  Lords  into  some  sort  of  relation  to  the  feelings 
of  the  people.  But  they  have  preferred  to  keep  it,  like 
a  sort  of  Tory  Old  Guard,  to  bring  up  when  the  [  neces- 
sities of  the  case  required.  But  an  Old  Guard  is  a  dan- 
gerous weapon,  because  when  you  have  brought  up 
your  last  reserve  all  goes  with  it.  Napoleon  had  an 
Old  Guard,  and  he  brought  it  up  at  Waterloo,  and 
when  the  Old  Guard  was  done  with,  not  merely  the 
battle  was  done  with,  but  Napoleon  [  and  all  concerned 
with  him.  But  we  are  told  the  Peers  never  definitely 
resist  the  will  of  the  people.  I  want  to  know  how  the 
wishes  of  the  people  can  be  better  expressed  than 
through  the  representatives  of  the  people.  Who  gave 
the  Peers  the  right  or  the  instinct  to  decide  as  to  what 

287 


288        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

are,  \\l  or  are  not,  the  wishes  of  the  people  when  these 
wishes  are  expressed  through  their  elected  represen- 
tatives? I  suppose  that  this  contention  implies  that 
the  Peers  give  their  assent  to  any  reform  which  is 
passed,  as  the  Reform  Bill  of  1832  was  passed,  under 
the  threat  of  an  immediate  revolution — when  Birming- 
ham was  I  arming,  and  Glasgow  was  arming,  and  Bristol 
was  in  flames.  Are  we  always  to  wait  for  demonstra- 
tions of  popular  feeling  of  that  kind?  To  assert  this, 
gentlemen,  is  to  go  far.  It  is  laying  down  the  proposi- 
tion that  Liberal  legislation  is  always  to  be  carried 
by  the  menace  of  revolution.  Tory  legislation  is  to 
descend  \  like  the  blessed  rain  from  heaven.  Ours  is 
only  to  come  in  wind,  and  rain,  and  snow,  and  vapor. 
Theirs  is  to  be  the  fertilizing  overflow  of  the  Nile.  Ours 
is  to  come  as  a  tornado  or  a  hurricane.  Theirs  is  to  be 
the  benign  effect,  ours  the  catastrophe  and  convulsion 
of  Nature.  So  the  \  result  must  be  that  if  we  are  never 
to  be  allowed  to  carry  any  measure  without  threat  of 
thunder  and  lightning,  or  evoking  the  fell  spirits  of  the 
storm  to  convince  the  Lords  that  the  nation  is  in 
earnest,  then  our  legislation  will  always  be  troublous 
and  unpeaceful,  and  the  only  way  to  get  legislation  \\~ 
quietly  passed  is  to  confide  it  to  the  Tory  and  Unionist 
party.  I  only  allude  to  this  to  show  what  the  real 
danger  is  of  the  House  of  Lords  from  a  constitutional 
point  of  view.  It  invites  unrest;  it  invites  agitation; 
and  in  certain  cases  the  cup  may  boil  over;  and  it  might 
invite  revolution.  |  And  I  repeat  this  is  a  great  national 
question,  and  it  is  a  great  national  danger.  It  is  a 
great  question,  not  merely  from  its  enormous  impor- 
tance, but  from  the  difficulty  of  dealing  with  it.  The 
misfortune  of  this  grievance  and  this  issue  is  that  the 
remedy  is  not  obvious  within  the  limits  of  the  \  Con- 


1909  CONTEST  289 

stitution.  You  can  only  deal  with  the  House  of  Lords, 
with  the  powers  of  the  House  of  Lords,  by  a  bill  passed 
through  both  Houses.  Anything  but  that  is,  consti- 
tutionally speaking,  a  revolution.  That  seems  to  be  a 
discouraging  result  to  arrive  at.  But  I  would  not  have 
you  lose  heart  so  quickly.  It  will  [  not  come  to  a  revo- 
lution in  the  case  of  the  House  of  Lords.  There  are 
means  of  making  the  will  of  the  country  felt  without 
any  violence  or  unconstitutional  methods  such  as  I 
have  described.  In  this  country,  whatever  the  diffi- 
culty may  be,  the  good  sense  of  the  constituent  body  is 
such  that  we  usually  ]] 3  arrive  at  an  agreement  without 
any  of  the  cataclysms  that  rend  other  countries.  We 
think  then  that  the  time  has  come,  or  has  nearly  come 
for  a  free  popular  reference,  to  ask  the  people  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland  to  settle  this  question  of  the 
Constitution  of  this  country  once  for  all — not  in 
reference  \  merely  to  tradition,  but  in  reference  also 
to  accomplished  facts.  And  then  will  come  your  part. 
The  Government  will  have  done  its  part,  and  it  will 
be  then  your  turn.  If  you  have  come  to  the  conviction 
that  the  House  of  Lords  understands  your  wishes 
better  than  do  your  own  representatives,  you  will  give 
effect  I  by  your  verdict  to  that  impression.  You  will 
annihilate  your  own  representation  and  abide  content- 
edly by  the  unbiased,  mellow  wisdom  of  the  House  of 
Lords.  You  will  thank  them  for  having  done  you  the 
favor  of  having  been  born.  It  will  be  unnecessary 
any  further  to  go  through  the  musty  and  superfluous 
process  of  popular  ].  election;  for  you  will  have  beside 
you  a  self-constituted  body  that  will  save  you  any 
trouble  of  that  kind.  But  if,  gentlemen,  you  take  a 
different  view — if  for  years  you  have  been  champing 
and  chafing  under  the  bit  of  the  House  of  Lords — if 


290        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

for  years  you  have  been  wondering  at  this  strange  \]4 
survival  of  a  bygone  age — if  for  years  you  have  been 
instructing  your  representatives  to  do  all  that  in  them 
lies  to  maintain  your  rights  against  their  interference 
— why,  then  you  will  give  your  verdict  in  accordance 
with  the  facts,  and  you  will  make  ready  for  the  fight. 
You  will  remember,  as  I  have  told  |  you  before  that 
in  this  great  contest  there  are  behind  you,  to  inspire 
you,  all  the  great  reforms,  all  the  great  aspirations 
and  all  the  great  measures  on  which  you  have  set  your 
hearts.  Before  you  are  encamped  all  the  forces  of 
prejudice  and  privilege.  Before  you  frown  the  sullen 
ramparts,  behind  which  are  concealed  \  the  enemies 
you  long  to  fight,  and  so  long  have  fought.  And  I 
would  ask  you,  if  you  are  prepared  to  go  into  this 
fight,  to  fight  it  as  your  old  Puritan  forefathers  fought 
— fight  with  their  indomitable  will — fight  as  those  old 
Ironsides  fought  hi  Yorkshire,  never  knowing  when 
they  were  beaten  and  determined  \  not  to  be  beaten. 
Fight,  as  they  would  have  said  themselves,  not  with  the 
arm  of  the  flesh  but  with  the  arm  of  the  spirit.  Fight 
by  educating  your  fellow-men  not  as  to  the  object, 
for  in  that  you  are  clear  already,  but  as  to  the  proper 
means  of  attaining  that  object.  .  .  .  U5  (2  words 
short— 1098  words) 


1910  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP 

(Olympia,  London) 

200  Words  a  Minute 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.44 

You  have  not  informed  me,  Mr.  President,  what 
precise  significance  is  attached  to  the  word  "author" 
to  bring  him  within  the  scope  of  the  Authors'  Club. 
Clearly  he  must  write.  Clearly  he  must  write  some- 
thing which  has  every  appearance  of  not  having  been 
written  before;  clearly  that  something  must  be  J  pub- 
lished in  a  book;  and,  most  clearly  of  all,  he  must  be 
paid  for  what  he  has  written.  "No  one  but  a  block- 
head," as  Dr.  Johnson  has  very  properly  observed, 
"ever  wrote  except  for  money."  So  if  I  define  an  author 
as  a  person  who  makes  his  living  by  publishing  [  in 
book  form  original  composition,  so-called — if  we  can 
agree  upon  that,  I  will  proceed  further  to  say  I  think 
the  persons  who  comprise  that  category  are,  upon  the 
whole,  a  very  fortunate  class.  The  great  mass  of  man- 
kind pass  their  days  in  work,  and  it  is  only  after  \  their 
work  in  the  field,  or  the  mill,  or  the  office,  has  been 
done,  that  they  find  time  to  play.  So  many  hours 
from  every  day  of  their  lives  have  to  be  sacrificed  to  a 
tyrant  thing  called  work — unwelcome,  monotonous, 
and  unremitting  work.  Not  till  that  is  satisfied  is  H1 
there  room  for  recreation  or  for  pleasure.  That  is  the 

291 


292        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

lot  of  the  common  run  of  humanity.  The  fortunate 
people  in  the  world — the  only  really  fortunate  people 
— are  those  whose  work  is  also  their  pleasure.  The 
class  is  not  a  large  one,  not  nearly  so  large  as  it  is  \  often 
represented  to  be;  and  authors  are  perhaps  one  of  the 
most  important  elements  in  its  composition.  They 
enjoy  in  this  respect  at  least  a  real  harmony  of  life. 

To  my  mind,  to  be  able  to  make  your  work  your 
pleasure  is  the  one  class  distinction  in  the  world  worth  | 
striving  for;  and  I  do  not  wonder  that  others  are  in- 
clined to  envy  those  happy  human  beings  who  find  their 
livelihood  in  the  gay  effusions  of  their  fancy,  to  whom 
every  hour  of  labor  is  an  hour  of  enjoyment,  to  whom 
repose,  however  necessary,  is  a  tiresome  interlude, 
and  even  |  a  holiday  almost  a  deprivation.  Whether  a 
man  writes  well  or  ill,  has  much  to  say  or  little,  if  he 
cares  about  writing  at  all,  he  will  appreciate  the  pleas- 
ures of  composition.  To  sit  at  one's  table  on  a  sunny 
morning,  with  four  clear  hours  of  uninterruptible 
security,  plenty  of  \\z  nice  white  paper,  and  a  Squeezer 
pen,  that  is  true  happiness.  The  complete  absorption 
of  the  mind  upon  an  agreeable  occupation — what  more 
is  there  than  that  to  desire?  What  does  it  matter 
what  happens  outside?  The  House  of  Commons  may 
do  what  it  likes,  and  so  may  the  House  [  of  Lords.  The 
heathen  may  rage  furiously  in  every  part  of  the  globe. 
The  bottom  may  be  knocked  clean  out  of  the  American 
market.  Consols  may  fall,  the  Suffragettes  may  rise. 
Never  mind,  for  four  hours,  at  any  rate,  we  will  with- 
draw ourselves  from  a  common,  ill-governed,  and  dis- 
orderly |  world,  and  with  the  key  of  fancy  unlock  that 
cupboard  where  all  the  good  things  of  the  infinite  are 
put  away. 

And  speaking  of  freedom,  is  not  the  author  free,  as 


1910  CONTEST  293 

few  men  are  free?  Is  he  not  secure,  as  few  men  are 
secure?  The  tools  of  his  industry  are  ]  so  common 
and  so  cheap  that  they  have  almost  ceased  to  have 
commercial  value.  He  needs  no  bulky  pile  of  raw 
material,  no  elaborate  apparatus,  no  service  of  men  or 
animals.  He  is  dependent  for  his  occupation  upon 
no  one  but  himself,  and  nothing  outside  him  matters. 
He  is  the  \\3  sovereign  of  an  empire,  self-supporting, 
self-contained.  No  one  can  sequestrate  his  estates. 
No  one  can  deprive  him  of  his  stock-in-trade,  no  one 
can  force  him  to  exercise  his  faculty  against  his  will; 
no  one  can  prevent  him  exercising  it  as  he  chooses. 
The  pen  is  the  \  great  liberator  of  men  and  nations. 
No  chains  can  bind,  no  poverty  can  choke,  no  tariff 
can  restrict  the  free  play  of  his  mind,  and  even  the 
"Times"  Book  club  can  only  exert  a  moderately 
depressing  influence  upon  his  rewards.  Whether  his 
work  is  good  or  bad,  so  long  as  |  he  does  his  best  he  is 
happy.  I  often  fortify  myself  amid  the  uncertainties 
and  vexations  of  political  life  by  believing  that  I  possess 
a  line  of  retreat  into  a  peaceful  and  fertile  country 
where  no  rascal  can  pursue  and  where  no  one  need  be 
dull  or  idle  or  even  \  wholly  without  power.  It  is  then, 
indeed,  that  I  feel  devoutly  thankful  to  have  been  born 
fond  of  writing.  It  is  then,  indeed,  that  I  feel  grateful 
to  all  the  brave  and  generous  spirits,  w.ho,  in  every  age, 
and  in  every  land,  have  fought  to  establish  the  now 
unquestioned  freedom  U4  of  the  pen. 

Then  remember  that  the  author  can  always  do  his 
best.  There  is  no  excuse  for  him.  The  great  cricketer 
may  be  out  of  form.  The  general  may  on  the  day  of 
decisive  battle  have  a  bad  toothache  or  a  bad  army. 
The  admiral  may  be  seasick — as  [  a  sufferer  I  reflect 
with  satisfaction  upon  that  contingency.  As  for  an 


294        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

orator,  it  is  not  enough  for  him  to  be  able  to  think  well 
and  truly.  He  must  think  quickly.  Speed  is  vital  to 
him.  Spontaneity  is  more  than  ever  the  hall-mark  of 
good  speaking.  All  these  varied  \  forces  of  activity 
require  from  the  performer  the  command  of  the  best 
that  is  in  him  at  a  particular  moment  which  may  be 
fixed  by  circumstances  utterly  beyond  his  control.  It 
is  not  so  with  the  author.  He  need  never  appear  in 
public  till  he  is  ready.  .  .  .  H5  (53  words  short — 947 
words) 


1912  BRITISH  CHAMPIONSHIP 

(Olympia,  London) 

200  Words  a  Minute 

LITERARY  MATTER 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.44 

I  do  not  feel  before  an  audience  like  this  as  I  do  when 
I  go  out  to  preach  to  the  heathen;  nevertheless,  I  have 
been  told  that  it  is  always  well  to  make  at  least  a 
brief  explanation  of  our  principles,  as  there  are  certain 
to  be  some  present  who  [  do  not  understand  them.  Let 
me,  then,  begin  with  a  confession  of  what  I  may  call 
the  single  tax  faith. 

We  believe,  in  the  first  place,  in  the  equality  of  men 
— not  meaning  by  that,  that  all  men  are  of  the  same 
height,  that  all  men  are  of  the  same  \  weight,  that  all 
men  do  precisely  the  same  things  in  the  same  way. 
We  recognize  differences  in  individual  men.  When  we 
say  that  all  men  are  equal,  we  mean  that  all  men  are 
entitled  to  an  equal  chance.  We  believe — aye,  I  think 
I  can  say  all  of  us,  for  \  I  doubt  if  there  be  an  atheist 
among  us — we  believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty, 
Creator  of  heaven  and  earth;  and  we  believe  that  He 
made  the  earth  for  the  dwelling  place  of  all  the  human 
creatures  whom  He  should  call  into  it.  We  believe  that 
He  made  it  H1  for  all  of  them,  and  not  for  some  of 
them,  and  we  believe  that  they,  all  of  them,  are  entitled 
to  the  use  of  His  bounty.  We  believe,  therefore,  that 

295 


296        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

every  human  being  has  an  equal  right  to  the  land  of 
his  native  country.  We  do  not  believe  that  the  [  land 
of  each  country  should  be  divided  up  in  equal  pieces 
between  all  its  people.  We  do  not  believe  that  that 
would  be  possible,  or  even  if  it  were  possible  for  the 
moment,  that  permanent  equality  can  be  secured  in 
that  way.  What  we  aim  at  is  not  merely  an  |  equality 
of  the  present  generation  with  regard  to  natural  oppor- 
tunities and  the  equality  of  those  who  will  follow  us. 
We  do  not  propose  to  divide  up  land — let  me  repeat  it 
again,  because  there  may  be  those  here  who  have 
formed  their  opinion  of  us  from  hostile  newspapers. 
We  do  I  not  propose  to  give  to  every  citizen  an  equal 
piece  of  land.  What  we  propose  to  do  is  to  make  them 
all  equal  sharers  in  whatever  benefits  result  from  the 
ownership  of  land.  We  recognize  that  land  cannot  be 
divided  up  equally.  We  know  that  land  is  not  of  the  U2 
same  value,  and  that  land  values  are  constantly  chang- 
ing. We  know  that  some  people  require  the  use  of 
more  land  than  other  people,  and  that  some  require 
that  use  more  directly  than  others.  What  we  aim  at 
is,  that  while  one  man  may  have  ten  thousand  acres 
of  great  value,  \  and  another  a  less  valuable  piece,  and 
another  a  piece  of  no  value,  and  a  fourth  holds  none 
directly,  they  shall  all  be  put  on  the  same  plane.  We 
propose  to  secure  that  by  simply  having  land  con- 
tribute according  to  its  value  to  the  revenues  of  the 
community — that  is  \  to  say,  to  the  whole  people. 

We  propose  simply  to  put  upon  land  values  a  tax 
commencing,  as  we  will  have  to  do,  slowly,  and  increas- 
ing it  as  quickly  as  we  can — a  tax  that,  as  soon  as  may 
be,  shall  take  for  public  uses  the  annual  value  of  land  \ 
— that  is  to  say,  that  premium  which  the  advantages 
attaching  to  any  particular  piece  of  land  gives  to  its 


1912   CONTEST  297 

holder.  The  advantages  which  enable  him  by  the  same 
labor  or  the  same  expenditure  to  enjoy  a  larger  return 
or  a  more  valuable  use.  And  in  doing  that  we  propose 
to  [I3  abolish  all  taxation  that  bears  upon  labor,  that 
restricts  production  or  accumulation,  or  tends  in  any 
way  to  lessen  the  amount  of  wealth  in  the  community. 
We  are,  if  I  may  recur  to  an  American  phrase,  the 
abolitionists  of  the  present  day. 

We  differ  from  the  socialists  in  this  important  | 
particular,  we  do  not  believe  that  it  is  necessary  to 
construct  any  complex  scheme  to  right  the  wrongs  of 
society.  We  do  not  think  it  is  necessary  to  create 
any  great  machine.  What  we  believe  is  alone  neces- 
sary, is  to  abolish  restriction — to  give  free  play  to  the 
natural  harmonies.  [  What  has  won  so  many  of  us 
from  the  blank  despair  of  atheism  is  that  we  believe, 
aye,  we  see,  that  there  is  an  order  and  a  harmony  and 
a  beneficence  in  social  laws,  that  we  see  that  the  intel- 
ligence that  created  this  world  has  not  been  either  a 
niggard  [  or  a  blunderer;  that  we  see  that  what  is 
needed  to  abolish  poverty  is  not  charity,  but  justice. 
What  we  aim  to  give  is  freedom. 

That  labor,  the  creator  of  all  wealth,  should  be  a 
drug  in  the  market — that  all  over  the  world  the  labor- 
ing class  should  be  the  j]4  poor  class — what  does  it 
result  from?  Simply  from  want  of  freedom.  All  that 
labor  needs  is  fair  play — all  that  working  men  want  is 
justice;  not  charity,  not  condescension,  not  complex 
schemes  of  doing  something  for  them.  To  solve  the 
labor  question  all  that  we  hold  to  be  necessary  [  is  to 
recognize  the  principle  that  all  men  are  equally  chil- 
dren of  the  Creator,  equally  entitled  to  the  use  of  His 
bounty,  equally  entitled  to  enjoy  its  fruits.  We  have 
no  quack  remedy  for  social  evils.  Our  remedy  is 


298        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

justice — to  restore  to  men  those  equal  rights  which 
cannot  be  [  justly  taken  from  them  by  the  edict  of  any 
king  or  the  enactment  of  any  Parliament. 

We  differ  from  the  socialists  of  all  grades  by  attach- 
ing far  less  importance  than  they  do  to  capital.  We 
recognize  the  fact  that  the  two  primary  factors  of 
production  are  land  and  labor.  We  [  deny  as  utterly 
absurd  the  declaration  made  by  a  certain  school  of 
political  economists,  whom  the  socialists  have  copied, 
that  labor  cannot  be  employed  until  capital  is  accumu- 
lated. We  say  that  it  is  labor  that  produces  capital. 
...  I]5  (13  words  short— 987  words) 


HANDICAP  CONTEST,  1920 

JURY  CHARGE  DICTATED  AT  240 
Syllable  Intensity,  1.43 

Gentlemen  of  the  Jury:  At  the  close  of  plaintiff's 
case,  and  again  at  the  close  of  the  entire  case,  counsel 
for  the  defendant  move  to  dismiss  the  complaint.  Both 
those  motions  you  will  remember  were  denied  by  me. 
From  the  denial  of  those  motions  you  are  not  to  infer 
that  the  Court  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  plaintiff  should 
I  succeed.  Those  are  simply  rulings  on  questions  of  law, 
to  the  effect  that  if  there  is  a  question  of  fact  involved 
in  any  case,  it  is  the  Court's  duty  to  submit  that  ques- 
tion of  fact  to  you  for  your  determination. 

The  law  affecting  a  case  of  this  kind  is  that,  before 
the  plaintiff  can  recover,  he  must  establish  to  your  \ 
satisfaction  four  elements :  He  must  prove  to  you  that 
representations  were  made  which  were  contrary  to  the 
facts.  In  other  words,  he  has  got  to  prove  that  this 
defendant,  either  through  himself  or  through  some 
agent  authorized  by  him  to  make,  the  statement,  repre- 
sented certain  facts  to  be  true.  Second,  he  has  got  to 
prove  that  the  defendant,  or  the  [  party  making  the 
representations — that  is,  if  such  party  made  them 
on  behalf  of  the  defendant,  with  his  knowledge  and 
consent — knew  that  said  representations  were  false 
and  were  not  the  fact.  Third,  he  has  got  to 
prove  the  further  fact  that,  as  a  result  of  these 

299 


representations  they  entered  into  an  agreement;  in 
other  words,  that  such  representations  gave  [[  rise 
to  the  agreement  that  was  entered  into.  And  fourth, 
which  is  perhaps  the  most  important  element  in 
the  case,  that  the  plaintiff  relied  upon  the  represen- 
tations, and  that,  relying  thereon,  he  was  induced 
to  enter  into  the  agreement  and  suffered  damage 
thereby. 

It  is  not  for  you  gentlemen  in  this  case  to  say  whether 
this  plaintiff  made  a  good  ]  bargain  with  the  defendant 
or  a  poor  one,  when  he  entered  into  the  agreement  to 
purchase  these  premises.  What  you  have  got  to  de- 
termine, before  you  can  find  in  the  plaintiff's  favor, 
is  that  these  representations  were  made;  that  the 
defendant  or  his  agent  made  these  representations  know- 
ing them  to  be  false,  and  that  the  plaintiff,  Berlin, 
bought  these  premises  {  because  of  said  representa- 
tions. In  other  words,  that  what  induced  him  to  enter 
into  the  contract  for  the  purchase  of  this  property 
was  the  fact  that  it  was  owned  by  a  rich  uncle 
of  this  defendant,  who  had  bought  it  many  years 
before  for  $27,000,  and  that  he  had  given  it  to  this 
defendant. 

If  you  find  all  of  [  those  facts  in  favor  of  the  plaintiff, 
then  your  verdict  should  be  for  the  plaintiff.  If  you 
find  any  one  of  them  lacking,  your  verdict  should  be 
for  the  defendant. 

You  have  heard  what  the  plaintiff  had  to  say.  He 
tells  you  that  this  man,  Levine,  called  to  see  him 
several  times  and  told  him  that  he  had  a  bargain,  I J  and 
that  this  house  belonged  to  a  rich  uncle  of  the  de- 
fendant. That  there  was  some  talk  about  wanting 
$25,000  for  the  property,  which  was  reduced  to  $22,500 
and  that  then  the  price  was  finally  reduced  to  $21,750. 


1920  CONTEST  301 

He  tells  you  that  there  was  a  mortgage  [  of  some 
$15,000  on  the  property,  and  that  there  was  to  be  a 
second  mortgage  given,  which  was  to  be  a  purchase 
money  mortgage.  His  wife  was  called,  and  she  testified 
substantially  the  same  as  the  plaintiff. 

Mr.  Marks  was  called  as  a  witness  and  told  you  what 
he  knows  of  this  transaction.  Mr.  Marks  is  a  reputable 
I  attorney,  a  member  of  our  Bar.  He  tells  you  that  he 
had  a  conversation  with  Mr.  Berlin  prior  to  entering 
into  the  contract,  and  he  told  him  not  to  enter  into  this 
contract,  without  stating  any  reasons.  He  tells  you, 
further,  that  after  some  delay  the  contract  was  entered 
into,  and  that  this  plaintiff  called  to  see  him  shortly 
after  1  the  contract  was  signed,  and  told  him  at  that 
time  that  he  did  not  want  to  take  title,  mentioning 
several  reasons,  but  not  the  fact  that  he  had  been 
told  that  this  property  belonged  to  a  rich  uncle  of 
the  defendant.  That  testimony  is  to  be  considered 
by  you,  in  determining  whether  or  not  the  plain- 
tiff has  given  you  the  ([  correct  version  as  to  what 
happened. 

The  defendant  tells  you  that  he  made  no  such  rep- 
resentations, and  he  called  the  janitor,  Mr.  Handels- 
man,  who  tells  you  that  the  plaintiff  called  there  some 
two  or  three  times;  that  he  remembers  him  once  in 
particular  being  there  between  Christmas  of  1918  and 
New  Year's  of  1919,  and  that  he  showed  ]  the  plaintiff 
through  the  building  at  that  time,  from  the  basement 
to  the  top  floor,  and  that  he  saw  him  there  on  one  or 
two  other  occasions.  That  testimony  is  also  important 
and  should  be  considered  by  you;  because  even  if 
representations  are  made,  and  the  party  to  whom  the 
representations  are  made  has  an  opportunity  to  see  for 
himself  j  whether  or  not  the  facts  are  as  stated,  it  will 


302        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

help  you  in  determining  as  to  whether  or  not  he  relied 
upon  the  representations  which  he  claims  were  made  to 
him. 

If  you  believe  the  plaintiff's  version,  and  find  that 
he  has  sustained  those  four  elements  which  I  have  in- 
dicated, then  your  verdict  should  be  for  the  plaintiff 
for  the  I  sum  of  $500.  On  the  other  hand,  if  you  believe 
the  defendant's  version,  your  verdict  should  be  for  the 
defendant. 

If  I  have  misquoted  any  portions  of  the  testimony, 
you  must  disregard  my  version  as  to  what  the  evidence 
in  this  case  is,  and  follow  your  own  recollection  as  to 
what  the  evidence  is. 

The  plaintiff  has  the  \\  burden  of  proof.  By  that  it 
is  meant  that  he  must  establish  his  case  substantially 
as  alleged  by  a  fair  preponderance  of  the  evidence.  By 
a  fair  preponderance  of  the  evidence,  however,  is  not 
meant  the  number  of  witnesses.  It  has  reference  to 
quality  of  testimony.  The  requirement,  however,  is 
a  substantial  one,  and  it  must  j  be  met  by  the  one  that 
has  the  burden,  which  is  the  plaintiff  in  this  case;  and 
while  weighing  the  testimony,  if  you  find  that  it  is 
evenly  divided  on  the  questions  of  fact  involved,  you 
must  find  against  the  plaintiff,  and  in  favor,  of  the 
defendant;  because  in  that  event  the  plaintiff  has  failed 
to  sustain  the  burden  which  j  the  law  casts  upon  him; 
and  of  course  in  doing  that  keep  in  mind  that  it  is 
quality,  rather  than  quantity,  of  testimony  which  is  to 
govern  you. 

In  deciding  the  case  take  into  consideration  the  in- 
terest that  any  witness  may  have  in  the  result  of  the 
trial,  the  probability  of  their  testimony,  and  then  to 
their  testimony  give  it  \  the  weight  and  credit  that  you 
find  and  feel  that  it  is  entitled  to. 


1920  CONTEST  303 

If  you  believe  that  any  witness  has  wilfully  sworn 
falsely  to  any  material  statement  of  fact,  you  must 
disregard  that  statement  of  fact,  and  you  may,  if  you 
like,  disregard  the  entire  testimony  of  that  particular 
witness. 

The  plaintiff  in  this  case  is  naturally  an  interested 
witness.  [[ 


HANDICAP  CONTEST,  1920 

Testimony  Read  at  247  words  a  minute 
(Called  "280  words  a  minute"  but  actually  read  at  247) 

Syllable  Intensity,  1.25 

(The  questions  and  answers  were  not  read,  but  were 
counted.  Number  of  questions  and  answers  165. 
Gross  speed,  247  words  a  minute.) 

Cross-examination  by  Mr.  Solomon: 

Q.  Did  you  ever  live  near  24  Grand  Street.  A.  No, 
sir. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  live  on  the  East  Side?  A.  Yes, 
sir;  on  Henry  Street. 

Q.  How  many  blocks  is  Henry  Street  from  Grand 
Street?  A.  Four  or  five;  I  don't  know. 

Q.  How  many  years  did  you  live  on  Henry  Street? 
A.  Two  or  three  years. 

Q.  And  how  many  years  had  you  lived  on  |  the  East 
Side  altogether?  A.  That  is  all. 

Q.  Two  or  three  years?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  was  your  place  of  business  before  you 
moved  to  Brooklyn?  A.  In  New  York,  350  Canal. 

Q.  350  Canal  Street?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  are  in  business  for  yourself?     A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  how  many  years  have  you  been  in  business? 
A.  Not  long.  1 1  used  to  be  in  the  contracting  business. 

304 


1920  CONTEST  305 

Q.  You  were  in  the  contracting  business  for  your- 
self, were  you  not?  You  used  to  take  work  from 
manufacturers  and  make  up  suspender  trimmings  for 
them?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  They  gave  you  the  merchandise  and  you  made 
up  the  trimmings,  is  that  right?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  were  hi  business  for  yourself  under  the 
name  of  Samuel  Berlin,  is  that  I  right?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Now,  how  many  years  have  you  been  in  business 
altogether?  A.  Five  years  or  six  years. 

Q.  Five  or  six  years?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Altogether?     A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  have  you  a  check  account?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  how  many  banks?     A.  One  bank. 

Q.  In  what  bank?  A.  In  the  North  Side  Bank  in 
Brooklyn. 

Q.  You  also  had  an  account  j]  in  the  Greenwich 
Bank,  had  you  not?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Besides  the  North  Side  Bank?  A.  No,  sir;  at 
that  time  I  did. 

Q.  Well,  at  that  time  you  had  an  account  in  the 
Greenwich  Bank?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  account  in  a  savings  bank? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  buy  property  before?  A.  I  had 
one 

Q.  Yes  or  no.     A.  Yes,  [  I  did. 

Q.  You  bought  a  tenement  house  before,  did  you 
not?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  many  years  ago?    A.    About  twelve  years 

ago. 

Q.  And  who  was  your  attorney  at  the  time  you 
bought  that  tenement  house?  A.  Attorney  Marks. 

Q.  Marks  &  Marks?     A.  Yes,  sir. 


306        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  The  same  attorneys  who  drew  this  contract,  is 
that  right?  A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  you  have  known  Marks  &  Marks  [  a  great 
many  years?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  have  had  considerable  legal  business 
which  you  turned  over  to  them  to  take  care  of  for  you? 
A.  I  didn't  have  no  business  since  then. 

Q.  Since  then  you  had  no  legal  business?  A.  No, 
sir;  I  am  a  small  man  and  ain't  got  much  like  that. 

Q.  And  you  had  no  use  for  lawyers  since  then? 
A.  {  No,  sir;  I  did  not  have  anything.  I  am  a  small 
man  and  I  have  not  got  much  matters. 

Q.  Did  I  ask  you  whether  you  are  a  small  man?    A. 
No,  sir. 

Q.  Now,  you  said,  in  answer  to  questions  by  Mr. 
Manheim,  on  about  four  different  occasions,  "With 
the  little  capital  I  have,  I  told  them  I  could  not  buy 
the  house."  You  said  that,  did  you  not?  [[  A.  Yes, 
sir. 

Q.  And  by  saying  that  didn't  you  want  to  impress 
the  jury  that  you  were  a  poor  man? 

Mr.  Manheim:  I  object  to  that  as  incompetent, 
irrelevant  and  immaterial.  He  merely  stated  what 
took  place. 

The  Court:    Objection  overruled. 
A.  I  don't  ask  no  charity. 

Q.  Four  different  times  you  repeated  that  you  said 
to  Mr.  Salanter,  "I  cannot  afford  to  buy  this  house 
with  the  ]  little  capital  I  have."  Didn't  you  say  that? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  when  you  said  it,  didn't  you  have  in  mind 
that  you  wanted  to  impress  the  jury  that  you  were  a 
poor  man  ?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  did  not  have  that  in  mind?    A.  No,  sir. 


1920  CONTEST  307 

Q.  Is  that  the  way  you  dress  all  the  time,  Mr.  Berlin? 
A.  Yes,  sir;  all  the  time. 

Q.  I  With  a  soft  shirt?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  unshaved?  A.  I  cannot  shave  now.  I  got 
something  on  my  face. 

Q.  Didn't  you  come  into  court  to-day  to  impress 
this  jury,  with  your  soft  shirt  and  your  unshaven  face, 
that  you  are  a  poor  man?  A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  anybody  tell  you  to  dress  this  way?  A. 
No,  sir. 

Q.  How  much  money  did  [  you  have  in  the  Green- 
wich Bank  when  you  drew  this  check  for  $500?  A. 
From  $1,500  to  $2,000. 

Q.  About  $1,500  or  $2,000?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Are  you  rated  in  Dun's  or  Bradstreet's?  A.  No, 
sir. 

Q.  You  do  not  buy  and  sell  goods,  do  you?  A. 
No,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  do  not  [[  manufacture  goods,  do  you? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  obtain  goods  from  manufacturers,  and  you 
make  them  up  for  the  manufacturers?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  where  is  your  place  of  business  now?  A. 
258  Wythe  Avenue,  Brooklyn. 

Q.  And  how  big  is  your  loft?  A.  About  twenty 
by  fifty  feet. 

Q.  About  twenty  by  fifty?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  how  many  people  do  you  employ?  A.  I 
Four  or  five. 

Q.  And  so  you  work  yourself?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Now,  how  long  have  you  known  Levine?  A. 
For  the  last  fifteen  years. 

Q.  Was  Levine  the  broker  through  whom  you  bought 
the  first  house  that  you  bought?  A.  Yes,  sir. 


308        SHORTHAND  CHAMPIONSHIP  TESTS 

Q.  Levine  and  you  are  friends,  are  you  not?  A. 
Well,  I  just  bought  the  property  at  that  time  from 
him.  He  was  the  broker. 

Q.  [  When  he  came  to  your  house  about  this  piece  of 
property,  you  invited  him  to  lunch?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  had  him  sit  at  your  table  with  you  and 
your  wife?  A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  when  Levine  sold  you  the  first  piece  of 
property,  you  had  known  him  for  a  great  many  years, 
had  you  not?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  [  But  this  was  the  first  time  you  had  ever  met 
Mr.  Salanter?  A.  Yes,  sir;  the  first  time. 

Q.  Did  you  attend  at  the  office  of  Marks  &  Marks  on 
January  20, 1919?  A.  When  the  contract  was  made? 

Q.  When  the  title  was  set  for  closing.    A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  did  not  go  to  the  office  of  Marks  &  Marks 
on  that  day?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  ][  You  had  been  at  Mr.  Salanter's  house  before 
that,  were  you  not?  A.  I  was  once  at  his  house. 

Q.  You  were  at  Salanter's  house  once?     A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  how  many  times  was  he  at  your  house? 
A.  Twice. 

Q.  How  many  times  was  Levine  at  your  house? 
A.  Three  or  four  times. 

Q.  Had  you  inspected  the  house  before  you  entered 
into  this  contract?  A.  No. 

Q.  i  Not  at  all?    A.  No,  sir;  not  at  all. 

Q.  Are  you  sure  about  it?    A.  Sure. 

Q.  You  testified,  when  Mr.  Manheim  asked  you, 
that  you  had  gone  over  to  look  at  the  house,  did  you 
not?  A.  After  the  contract. 

Q.  After  the  contract?    A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  But  you  had  not  seen  the  house  at  all  before 
you  made  the  contract?  A.  No. 


1920  CONTEST  309 

Q.  You  did  not?  [  A.  Levine  brought  me  over  at 
night. 

Q.  Oh,  Levine  brought  you  over  there  at  night?  ] 
A.  Yes,  sir;  as  I  told  you  before.  On  a  Sunday  he  was 
in  my  house,  and  he  brought  me  and  my  wife  over  on 
that  Sunday  night. 

Q.  Well,  didn't  you  go  through  the  house  at  all  at 
that  time?  A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not. 

Q.  And  you  did  not  go  I  through  the  house  to  find 
out  how  much  the  rent  was?  A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  knew  it  was  important  to  find  that  out  be- 
fore you  signed  the  contract,  how  much  the  income  of 
the  house  was?  A.  They  told  me. 

Q.  They  told  you?    A.  Yes,  sir,  and  I  believed  them. 

Q.  Never  mind  what  you  believe.  Now,  the  first 
house  that  you  bought,  was  that  a  tenement  house? 
J|  A.  Yes,  sir. 


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